Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-12-06
.Sufragists Flash Large Yellow
Banner While President Wilson
Delivers Message to Congress.

gress yesterday was marked by 3
woman suffrage coup in the gal
leries-.the first real show Of organ
lied militancy in the capital-and
also by Il great demonstration of con.
graduation to the President upon
his reelection, in which many Re
publicans joined with the Democrats
After acknowledging the prolong,
cd cheers and applause which greet
cd his entry to the hall of the House
the President launched into his ad-
dress, reviewing recommendations
for railroad legislation, a corrupt
practices act, and had passed to his
recommendation for broader gov
ernment for Porto Rico He was just
about to begin sentence c'The
present laws governing the island
and regulating the rights and privT-
leges of its people are not JUST
when over the rail of the gallery,
where sat party of women suffrage
leaders, there futtered down above
the heads of an amazed assemblagc
of Senators and Representatives 4
silken banner of suffrage yellow,
bearing in great black letters the
inscriptions:
"Mr. President, what will you
DO for woman suffrage?"
The suffragists said afterward it
was their protest against the Pres:-
dents plea with Congress for broad
er suffrage for the men of Porto
Rico while he did not mention their
own cause in his address.
AS the banner rippled down the
suffragists sat smiling and unper-
turbed, watching the effect. A dim
inutive page, raised on the arms or
men directly under the gallery,
grasped the edge of the banner ami
snatched it down, President Wilson.
attracted by the stir, looked up from
his reading and apparently taking
in the situation at a glance, smiled
broadly and without hesitation or
interruption turned his eyes back to
his manuscript and continued his adj
dress to its end without further de-
monstrations.
Policemen and gallery guards
scurried to where the women were
seated, but contented themselves
with watching the party, as if to pre-
vent further outbreak.
The women who held the banner
we're Mrs. John Rogers, of New
York, chairman of the national AL
visory council of the Congressional
Union; Mrs. VIM. Colt, Of New York,
representative on the council from
New York; Mrs. Florence Bayard
Hilles. of Wilmington, chairman or
the Delaware branch; Mrs. Anna
Lowcnberg, of Philadelphia, vice
chairman of the Pennsylvania branch
of the Congressional Union; DR..
Caroline E. Spencer, Of Colorado
Springs, secretary Of the Colorado
branch of the National Woman's
Party; and Miss Mary G. Fendall,
of Baltimore, who campaigned IN
Oregon for the Woman's Party.
The action Of the women in faunt-
| ing the banner before the President
was roundly condemned by many
who spoke their minds freely at the
close of the session, pronounclng 1t
as Il gross breach of etiquette.
President Wilson was greeted by
loud cheering for two or three min
utes upon his arrival in the house
which he modestly acknowledged
with smiles, and after shaking hands
very cordially with Vice President
| Marshall and Speaker Clarke pro
| ceeded at once with the delivery OF
| his message, which took him about
eighteen minutes.
During the recess of the House
previous to the arrival of the mem
bers of the Senate and the President
Mr.. Bryan walked in among the
congressman and was greeted with
rounds of cheering, many pressing
around him to shake hands as he
iwended his way to seat in the body
of the house. He looked hale and
hearty and appeared in most excel
lent humor, his face beaming with
smiles.
Another familiar figure on tho
floor was that of former speaHe!
Cannon who was. seen shaking hands
with his fellow members on al
, SldcS.