Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1916-11-07
SOUTHERN WOMEN
SUfFRAGISTS FOR
STATES RIGHTS
Mrs. Sam S. Wassell Makes
Position Clear in Letter to
Mrs. Belmont.

Mrs. y. II. u. Belmont of New York,
a leading suffragist ana an ardent
supporter Of the Republican nominee,
must have received severe Jolt re
Gently. And she got il from a South
ern woman-an Arkansas woman. Mrs.
Belmount solicited from Mrs. Sam S.
WaSsell, president Of the Little Rock
Political Equality league, a conrihu-
ton in behalf Of the Hughes cam.
paign fund. Mrs. WasSell'S reply fol
lows
"Mrs. Oliver II. F. Belmont,
l3 East 4lSt Street,
New York, N. Y.
"My Dear Mrs. Belmont: ! beg to
acknowledge receipt Of your letter re
questing a donation for the sum Of
SIS to assist in defraying the campaign
expenses Of Hon. Chas. f. Hughes, the
Republican candidate for president Of
the United States. You stated that
Mr.. Hughes has come out squafoly for
woman suffrage and by reason Of this
fact, he should receive the solid vote
in the states where women are per
mitted to vote and in the other states
the influence of those where they are
unable to vote
81 see no reason why the women de-
handing the right Of The ballot should
contribute toward the election of Mr..
Hughes to the presidency, by virtue
Of his declaration in favor Of woman
suffrage.
"Neither the president Of the United
States nor congress has a right to
grant suffrage nor to remove it. If
they did, and passed an act permitting
suffrage in California, Oregon, and
for other states no suffrage, this would
be discriminating against your state
and against my state, and every one
knows that of the states having wom-
ans suffrage, none of them derived
these rights by virtue of any act of
congress but solely as result of
states rights.
81 am aware of the fact that you
will think that while Mr.. Wilson was
governor of New Jersey that no bill
extending the right of suffrage to wo-
men, was passed during his admins
tration. But in his case there is not
an yrecord of any act wherein he dis
eliminated against women, directly or
indirectly, while in the case of Mr.
Hughes, while he was governor of New
York there was bill passed the legis-
lature lettering working conditions for
industrial women and when it passed
the senate of New York and the house
of representatives of New York, he
promptly put his foot down on the act
and vetoed it, and solely as a result of
his action the bill failed to become a
law, and the industrial women were
without the sympathy of Governor
Hughes.
"lf congress should pass an act
granting women the right to vote, it
would have no effect. 1t is admitted
that congress has never passed such
an act, and yet California, Oregon
and other states are voting. Are they
voting in violation of the law? No,
they secured these rights from their
state legislatures, where you must re-
ceive your rights and | must receive
mine, but we may not expect to re-
ceive the signature of a governor who
vetoes legislation for the benefit of
women. Only from a governor whose
sympathy comes hot from his heart,
and not from his head.
"In view of the fact that | differ
with you on this matter and can not
agree that the eleventh hour convert
is entitled to the consideration Of one
who at least has been pacific, I write
you this lengthy letter.
Respectfully,
"MRS. SAM S. WASSELL."