Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1916-06-23
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THE SUFFRAGE PLANK.

I'VE recommend the extension =
: Of franchise to the women Of the >
: country by the states upon the =
= same terms az to men," =
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1t was the above little plank that
inspired Gov. Ferguson of Texas to
mount the platform in the Coliseum
and read a minority report withhold
ing the party support from the ladies'
who want the vote. That the Demo
cratic party should scorn the political
exigencies Of the situation and defy
the IL western states in which women
vote was the burden of his argument.
Sharing the same opinion with him
were c. L. Bartlett of Georgia,
Stephen b. Fleming of Indiana and
Jim" Nugent of New Jersey, the old
time enemy of President Wilson. This
trio signed the minority report with
the Texan.
Lined up against Gov. Ferguson,
who acted as spokesman for the mi
nority, were Senator Stone OF Mis-
souri,, Senator Pittman of Nevada and
| OfhdlOI w dlSL Gi montana.
Senator Walsh lid not mince mat
ters in his argume nj for the adoption
of the suffrage plank He stated plain
ly the adoption OF the plank was
necessary as a matter Of political ex-
pediency, adding that the present
political situation In this country was
A condition and not a theory.
The states in which women vote
control 81 votes in the electoral col
lege," he said, adding significantly,
every political party has declared for
woman suffrage in some way or other.
II becomes simple question whether
you will incur the enmity of these
women.
Nov, my friends" he continued,
'as late as 1907 there we're but two
states west of the Missouri river that
returned Democratic senators and now
we have Is of them. The question is,
are yeu ready to surrender the 15
votes you have in the United States
senate and turn them over to your
political enemies?"
In conclusion, Senator Walsh said
that he revealed no secret when he
said President Wilson knew all about
the suffrage plank.
THE president believes 1t vital to
his success that Il stay in the plat
form" he safe. Il ask you in all the
fervor of my soul, who is there wiser
or more patriotic than he?"
! Following Senator Walsh's speech,
Gov Ferguson was allowed five min
utes for rebuttal. The vote was then
taken aud his minority report voted
down, after which the original suf-
frage plank, as approved by the reso-
lutions committee was unanimously
adopted
The Women Delegates.
The presence of the l5 women dele
gates at the Democratic convention
not only added color to the affair, but
changed the views of number of the
men delegates on the subject of po-
litlcal activity for women. For the
women delegates were a fine, whole
some-looklng lot and they fought just
as enthusiastically for the best inJer-
ests OF the party as the men.
Three of them, Miss Mary Z. Foy
OF California, Mrs. T. S. TalliaferrO
OF Wyoming, and Mrs. w. A. Harris
OF Kansas, spoke before the resolu-
tions committee in favor OF the suf.
frage plank which the National Amer
lcan Woman Suffrage Association pre-
seated to the convention.
One OF the other delegates. Mrs
Teresa B Graham, of Idaho. was nom
mated by the National Democratic
committee TO be ore OF the committee