New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-06-17
SUFFRAGE WINS
HOTTEST FIGHT
IN CONVENTION
State Rights Advocates
Unable to Defeat Plank
Wilson Favors.
VOTE ISSUE STIRS
HEATED DEBATE
Senators Stone, Pittman and
Walsh Lead the Majority to
Earned Victory.


by the majority of the platform COM
mittee. and of the minority plank,
signed by four members those from
Georgia. New Jersey, Indiana and
Texas-caused the only real fight of
the convention. IL started after the
reading of the majority report, when
Governor Ferguson of Texas OBJ
tanned the floor to make his report
against the plank.
Ir lieu of the plank offered by the
majority, the Governor proposed one
which "reaffirmed the historic position
of the party" with regard to state
rights, and made no mention of the
merits of woman suffrage.
Speaking for the majority, Senator
Stone declared that the difference be-
tween the two plsnks was that be-
tween tweedledum and tweedledee. In
reply to Judge Moore, national COM
mitteeman from Ohio. Senator Stone
declared that he did not consider that
the plank proposed by the majority
would bind him or any other Demo-
crat to support a state proposal to
grant women the ballot. He virtu-
ally admitted that the plank was a
mere expression of good will, meaning
absolutely nothing.
Governor FERGUSON accused the
party of STOPPING to "cowardly sub
servience to political expediency" in
writing the plank into the platform.
Not Entitled to Confidence.
"If the party presents something it
does not believe it is not entitled to
the confidence of the American peo-
pie" the Governor declared. "As we
debated this plank for four hours last
night, again and again it was made
clear that the crux of the entire
situation was that if we did not adopt
this plank we might lose the votes of
four Western states next November.
Governor Ferguson insisted that i
the suffrage plank proposed should Dc
adopted the party would be surrender
ing entirely the state rights idea Of
Thomas Jefferson. He read a quotation
from a speech by Justice Hughes reia
tive TO state rights, and asked the con
vention II it would permit the Repub
lican nominee to go further in defence
of state rights than the Democrats.
Pittman Stirs Opposition.
Senator Pttman, of Nevada, one OF
four committeeman who fought through
the night for plank proposing a Fed
eral amendment, exclaimed: There
are those here who would let the igno-
rant immigrant vote before he can read
or write, because that immigrant can
be herded 20 the polling places and
serve their selfish interests"
At this there was a chorus of boos
and Kisses, but the Senator asked the
delegates if they thought their moth
ers, sisters and daughters had brains
of smaller calibre than their own. He
asked them if they would deny their
mothers the ballot.
you may say that you vote for
them" Mr.. Pittman said, but ! know
the conditions in the sweat shops. OF
New York and Chicago, where the girls
have no brothers TO vote for them"
Expediency was the keynote of a
short speech by Senator Walsh, Of
Montana, in support of the suffrage
resolution.
II violate no confidence" the Senator
said, when | say that the Presidential
candidate knows about the planks which
were put into the platform. | may say
that President Wilson deems it i'm
perative TO his success at the polls in
November that this plank be inserted.
Certainly you can't lose a vote by put
ting it in, for the other parties have
done So"
Defends Expediency.
Senator Walsh ridiculed the conten-
ton of Governor FERGUSON that the
convention should not consider eXpedi-
ency. Great parties, he said, could not
exist were it not for their efforts 20
fight for the things which their mem
bers considered the people wanted. On
their success or failure in attempting
to gauge public sentiment, he added,
success or failure followed at the polls.
"The President" Mr.. Walsh went on,
believes it vital to his success that the
plank stays there. | ask you with all
the fervor of my being, Who is there
here who is wiser or more patriotic
than he?"
While the fight was on a thunder
storm burst, end the row on the con-
vention floor was at its height when the
storm reached its climax. The booming
of the thunder, mixed with the roaring
shouts of the floor and the clatter Of
the rain on the roof, almost drowned
out the speakers. The storm cleared
lust as Senator Walsh ceased speaking,
and the closing words OF his plea for
the Administration plank swept a
change of sentiment over the crowd as
welcome to the suffragists as the wave
of cool, refreshing air that poured
down into the Coliseum.
As the clerks called the roll OF states
the votes toppled into the column sup
porting the plank as the committee had
written il so fast that the defeat Of
the substitute was assured before the
call had gone a dozen states.
Plank as Adopted.
As il went into the platform the
suffrage plank stands:
I'VE favor the extension Of the fran
chise TO the women OF this country,
state by state, on the same terms as
TO the men"
The women suffrage leaders consid-
er IL a much more favorable declara-
ton than they got from the Repub-
lican convention.
The plank which the minority tried
in vain 10 substitute for the majority
report read:
THE Democratic party always has
stood for the sovereignty OF the sew
eral states in the control and regu-
lation of elections. We reatiirm tie
historic position of our party IN this
L. IL nm nee Of