The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1916-11-03
PLEADINCS FOR
EQUAL SUFFRAGE

Miss Elanora Barker, representing
the National Woman's party, spoke
at the Isis theatre last week, and ex-
planned to the audience some Of the
difficulties confronting the twent-one
million women in the eastern states
in their effort to obtain the franchise.
The older states, whose constitutions
were written century ago, are more
difficult to amend than the constitu-
tions fthe newer states. Miss Barker
explained that in her own state of
Indiana the constitution can only be
amended by having the measure pass
the legislature at two successive ses-
sions, and then submitting it to the
vote of the people, and having ma
| jority of the voters cast the ballot in
favor of the amendment All the
voters, who do not vote at all, are
recorded as being against it. In the
100 years, since Indiana adopted the
constitution, they have never sue
ceeded in making one amendment.
Equal suffrage can only be obtained
by the individual state amending
their constitution, unless the federal
government does it by act of con-
gress. Twelve states in the Union
have amended their constitutions to
allow women to vote, but in all the
others this has failed. When con-
gress has been asked to give them
the frachise it has been opposed by
enough votes to defeat it. President
Wilson has been taking the view that
it was for the states to decide and
not for the federal government. In
such a state as Indiana where it Is
impossible to amend the constitution
this makes it impossible to get equal
suffrage. In all the other states
where the population is dense, and
especially in the manufacturing CEN
ters, there is large foreign vote
and the women have been confronted
with the necessity of asking for their
full rights of citizenship at the hands
of newly arrived Europeans, who
have made application for citizenship,
lived there one year, and are entitled
to vote even tho they cannot read
nor. write and know nothing OF the
political conditions of this country.
The native born, Well-bred women OF
the states have to go to them and
ask their aid to obtain the franchise
for themselves. Miss Barker recited
the history of II different efforts al
ready made by the women's organiza-
tion to get President Wilson to aid
them with the amendment to the fed
eral constitution, and each time he
has declined to help them and at
different times gave different reasons
that did not harmonize with what
he had said at other times. Miss
Barker's address showed him to be
wishy-washy, spineless politician,
lodging the issue and playing for
support and for votes. She showed
that the IL suffrage states have al
ways been subject to changes in presl-
Dental elections, and. are still looked
upon as uncertain, and on that ac- J
count few votes turning either way
in those states, may turn the election,
because they control 80 electoral
votes. She showed that out OF the
millions of voters, that elect a presl-
dent, the margins are so small in
some states that few women voting
in unison, are likely to make a
change in the result. The National
Woman's party had no women in the
field, but went into this campaign
to throw the votes into the hands
of the party that will help them to
secure the amendment to the federal
The result of a long
fight on the question, is that their
party is supporting Hughes and op-
posing Wilson, on the theory that
il they can beat Wilson, Hughes and
his party, besides being willing to
help them will have the example be-
fore them of the defeat of Wilson,
and they hope to get action upon
their amendment. The last effort to
get their amendment endorsed by
the committee resulted in failure,
because it was traded off by those
who were OPPOSED to woman suffrage.
Miss Barker solicited the support OF
all lovers of fair play for Hughes and
against Wilson for the reasons stated.