The Washington herald., 1916-06-17
SUFFRAGE PLANK
| AROUSES STORM
Issue Furnishes Only Spirited
Row of Entire Democratic
Convention.
CBy the sun News service1

. st. Louis, Mo, June l6.-The Tammany
delegate who bet that the Democratic
national convention could not possibly
pack Up for home without at least one
fight knew his people. The only argu-
rnent a taIkative assembly had In its sys-
tenn escaped from the discreet precincts
OF the platform committee room and
came shrieking- for attention to the con-
vention floor.
Woman suffrage was debated in an
open convention Of either one of the old
parties for the first time. For the first
time the mere delegate. so frankly i'm
potent for action or discussion, had the
chance to say whether ne thought a
woman had sense enough to vote
whether the Democratic party was TAX
ing a political risk in approving the prin-
ciple of her right to vote, and whether
the States should settle the question in
dividually. It was a good. old-fashioned
lively row, with statesmen getting red in
the face, with galleries in a yellow
frenzy, with delegates in uproar.
They put through the plank commit
ting the Democratic party TO the prin-
ciple Of woman suffrage, and leaving
suffrage laws to the States. but not until
after the harmonious chanting OF the
greatness OF woodrow Wilson had been
completely ruined by the controversy
over impertinent. troublesome woman.
The lone argument arrived late, be-
cause Senator William Joel Stone and his
colleagues Of the resolutions committee
had been wrestling with it at the Plant
ers Hotel for forty-eight hours.
Session Rather Quiet.
The last session was very quiet except
for the row over suffrage. The rest OF
the platform was approved with scarcely
more than a patter Of hands.
Rabbi Leon Harrison, Of st. Louis, Of
feTed the prayer. Chairman James put
~ Mitchell Palmer. Of Pennsylvania, for
ward TO explain that the platform COM
mittee was still tussling.
Senator James called Senator Reed, OF
Missouri. to the platform to entertain the
convention. He lit into the Republican
party, asserting that It had not dared at
Chicago to nominate anyone OF its lead
ers who had been associated with party
policies in the past six years, and that It
had to go into the catacombs to find a
candidate. He attacked Mr.. Hughes for
dragging the Supreme Court into poll
tics"
Senator James introduced Senator Stone
at 1=3o p. m. Senator Walsh, Of Montana
was asked 10 read the platform.
There was applause as Walsh voiced
the party's position on AmericanisIn, on
preparedness, and on the achievements
Of the Wilson administration IN finance,
SO[ldl REFORMS ana OlplOmaCy.
It took forty-fOur minutes to lay the
platform before the convention, and at
40 p. m, Senator Walsh moved the adop-
tion OF the majority report. the one that
has just been read. There was a hub
bub instantly, a clash Of voices Dele
gates sprang up IN various parts OF the
hall to denOunce the suffrage plank Del
egate Martin Lomasney, of Boston,
planted himself in an aisle and beloved
for recognition. Chairman James avoided
noticing Lomasney for a minute or two,
but the BOstonian shrieked like a siren,
and for the sake OF reasonable quiet
James gave him a nod.
You can't choke me or" Lomasney
yelled. This is a Democratic conven-
tion, It is, and I've a right to be heard,
I have"
Sympathy for Irish.
well, what do you want?" demanded
the chairman.
I've a resolution in my hand" shouted
sympathy OF the Democratic party for
Ireland"
Laughter overwhelmed Lomasney. His
face Redeemed. His voice choked. He
could do nothing but stamp and swing
his arms. Somebody pushed him into his
chair while Chairman James recognized
Governor Ferguson, Of Texas, for the
purpose Of submitting the minority re-
port on the platform dealing only with
the suffrage issue. The report had been
signed by four members out of the fifty
two members Of the comnitte II