The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1916-11-02
MRS. KENT URGES
VOTES FOR HUGHES

making woman's suffrage the dominant
issue of the presidential campaign, "
said Mrs. Wm. Kent, wife of Repre-
sentative Kent of California, who ad-
dressed men and women voters at Lii
brary hall Wednesday night of last
week, "but | do expect some women
to take this stand. Yet | cannot see
how any woman who believes in the
slogan of the Woman's National party
can cast her vote for President Will
son"
Mrs. Kent, who for a number Of
years has played an important role in
the woman's party activities told OF
the great leap forward woman suffrage
had made during the administration of
President Wilson. She declared that
she was surprised that Mr.. Wilson,
whom she characterized as an astute
politician and great student OF his.
tory. had not been able to realize the
magnitude of the question and met 1t
squsrely instead of by vaccilation.
''ln many ways ! am an admirer OF
Mr.. Wilson. said Mrs. Kent. "and ]
would like to support him. My hus-
band is chairman of the non-partisan
Woodrow Wilson league. but as have
said in the beginning we women cannot
hope to realize our aim of federal
amendent for national suffrage and
cast our votes for Mr.. Wilson.
"Mr. Wilson in the beginning, when
be was approached by a delegation of
women. declared that he could not
speak for his party, and yet in short
time following we see him pushing
through congress the bill appealing the
Panama free tolls act. Did he speak
for his party there? Was not the bill
be repealed one of the pianks of the
Democratic platform?
Then he said it was a matter OF
states rights. He told US we should
get So states in line and then we could
make the other IL come to our view.
He has given US too many reasons.
Finally we hear President Wilson say
ing. We cannot yield to political ex-
pediency-moreover, the women cannot
deliver the VOTE That last remark
was not very pleasing to US women"
= Mrs. Kent explained to her audience
the long task it would be for women to
win national suffrage by the states
rights method. She told of number
of the New England and far eastern
states, in which a constitutional amend
ent could only be proposed every 10
years. She called attention to New
Mexico, where an amendment could
not be proposed for rs years after the
state was admitted.
Mrs. Kent declared that states
righ hts was a useful cloak for Demo-
cratic administration.
when Democrats want to they can
hide behind this great principle of
theirs, but let the Mississippi river
overflow its banks and we hear loud
cry from the Democratic south for fed
eral appropriation.
Last week." said Mrs. Kent, "when
the people of the Philippines were
given the right by the ballot to elect
the members of their legislature for
the first time. we find President..Wilson
sending them a long cablegram of con-
graduation. declaring that he was
proud of having hand in legislation
that permitted them to vote. The peo-
pie of Porto Rico have been given the
privilege of the ballot. But how does
Mr.. Wilson meet the pleas of Ameri-
can women"
Mrs. Kent pointed out the unfairness
of allowing eastern states with their
great numbers of Immigrants voting
on the question being allowed to settle
the suffrage question. In some of the
states, she said. immigrants, after a
six months residence. provided they
have declared their intention of becom.
ing citizens, are allowed to vote.
"You remember the spectacle" she
said, "of the 5000 Philadelphia .immi-
grants, who were naturalized and who
were addressed by President Wilson.
They will vote on the suffrae question,
and they will vote, no. You remember
the $50 Indians out in North Dakota
who were addressed on the occasion of
their being made citizens by Secretary
Lane. They. too, have the right of
saying whether the women of North
Dakota shall vste.
1--WE know what Woodrow Wilson has
done and we know that Justice Hughes
has declared that he is in favor of the
plank in the Republican platform de-
claring for national woman suffrage"
concluded Mrs. Kent. Therefore it
seems clearly the duty of women who
wish for national suffrage. to support
Hughes at the coming election"
During her speech Mrs. Kent de-
clared that Senator Chamberlain, who
has been making a swing of the state
in behalf of Woodrow Wilson. had been
reading a letter from Miss Ann Martin.
a leading spirit of the Woman's Party,
to show that Miss Martin
was opposed to the national amend
ment. Mrs. Kent declared that it was
utterly absurd for anyone to endeavor
to show that Miss Martin is opposed to
suffrage.
at was announced by the senatorial
says Mrs. Kent, that the
suffrage amendment, il it came up,
would receive three less votes than on
on former occasion. OF course, the
leaders of the Woman's Party did not
wish to see it put to vote, if this
we're the case, and Miss Martin wrote
this letter protesting that the measure
be put to a vote. This is the letter
that MIR. Chamberlain has been making
use Of"
Mrs. Kent was introduced by Mayor
Dumble. who declared that he was