The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-06-16
HARMONY NEAR
EXPLOSION when
SUFFS BEATEN
Committee Rejects WOmen's
Design of Plank.
Only Recommend States En-
franchise the Ladies.
DEMAND NATIONAL AMENDMENT
Debate With Committee Lasts
Until Early A. NJ.
They Vote Down Constitutional
Provision, % to 90.
Only Recommend States En-
franchise the Ladies.
DEMAND NATIONAL AMENDMENT
They Vote Down Constitutional
Provision, % to 90.
tBY PERRY ARNoID.)

st. Louis, June l6.-Ine complete
harmony program for the Democratic
national convention was busted" wide
open here today. Harmony reached
its climax near midnight when Presi
dent Wilson and Vice President Mar
shall were renominated by acc1ama-
ton
At o'clock, when the resolutions
committee was putting the finishing
touches on it's report after twenty-five
hours of continuous session, it was ap-
parent that at least one fight of that
long grind would be carried to the
floor of the convention.
This was the resolution pertaining
to woman suffrage. The committee
fought over the equal ballot pledge
for hours. 1t defeated 20 to 70, a
plank for a straight out declaration in
favor of federal constitutional
amendment to give women the vote. 1t
adopted by a vote of rs to 20 the fol-
lowing statement:
we recommend the extension of
the franchise to the women of the
country by the states upon the same
terms as to men,"
Suffs Not Satisfied.
This substitute was entirely unsat-
iSfactory to the suffrage workers. 1t
was regarded by them as a mere sub
terfuge-a passing of the buck" to
the states on the matter. which was
just lot of words. meaning nothing
il. particular. Workers for the suf-
fra gettcs openly voiced their declara-
ton of offering from the floor a sub
stitute which would take action to-
ward putting the party in complete
accord for a constitutional amendment
granting extension of the ballot.
1t was motley crew of delegates
and statesmen who wound up their
platform building early this morning.
The room on the second floor of the
Planters hotel in which they met was
a sight to behold Its floor was lit
tered with dead aind stale cigar
stumps; with paper, matches and
debris: the air hung heavy in the
bright morning sunlight. The mem
bers- of the resolutions committee
themselves were frazzled-their eyes
trimmed with red from the long, tense
debate, their faces lined with deep
wrinkles of exhaustion and their
voices harsh with excitement and
straining after the long hours of de-
bate. Nobody's temper actually broke
down: but there were some near
casualties.
Other Stumbling Blocks.
The language of the Mexican plank,
and that referring to the Democratic
foreign policy, were stumbling blocks
with the suffrage resolution. There
may be an open hearing of these diff
ferences from the floor of the conven-
ton when the break comes on women
suffrage.
Old timers in Democracy's ranks
were actually pleased with the split in
the resolutions committee and the
threatened airing of differences on the
convention floor. They held a Demo-
cratic convention wouldn't be true to
life if something didn't result in a row
or near-row in the 1916 convention,
which had been entirely too tame in
their opinion to live up to the best
traditions of the party. On Wednes-
day, If any Democrat dared to predict
there would be any difference of opin-
ion on the platform, he would probab-
ly have been laughed down in deri-
sion. The platform was the main thing
on which the party was thought to be
in complete accord. Its foundation had
been prepared by President Wilson
and it was assumed the resolution
committee would simply varnish it off
with choice language and a few
weather boards to make it water tight
But the carpenters had different
IDEAS as to the sort of planking to be
Used, and the row was on.
The convention in the night session
which adjourned at 1890 a. m. today
plainly showed it was weary of furth-
er delay-and anxious to finish up and
20 home.