Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-19
Whether Prisoners viii Accept
Chief Executives Action Not
Definitely Announced.
DOESN'T MEET SITUATION,
SAYS MISS LUCY BURNS
Party Leader Calls It "Inadequateis
Way to Solve Franchise Question.
House Polled on Amendment

x2mSuumGuI L
The President today pardoned the. .sips
teen woman pickets sentenced to servo
sixty days at the workhouse at Deco.
guam for attempting to display banners
in front Of the White House.
The pardon Immediately was characs
terized by Lucy Burns, chairman of tho
National Woman's Party, to which the
pickets belong, as being "entirely an in.
adequate way to meet the protest Of the
women Of the country for the right Of
franchise"
Whether or not the women at Occos
guam will accept the pardon and release
IS not known and could not be ascer-
tanned today, as supt. Whitaker would
not allow the pickets to be interviewed.
Later Supt. Whitaker asked Miss
Doris Stevens and Mrs. Beatrice Kinkead
if they would accept pardon from the
President. The women replied, he said,
that only on condition that the Presi.
dent would put through Congress the
Susan B. Anthony suffrage amendment
would they accept pardon.
Immediately after Miss Stevens and
Mrs. Kinkead announced they would not
accept a pardon, headquarters Of the
National Woman's Party announced that
the sixteen pickets would accept the
pardon and leave Occoquan at o'clock
today.
Congress Is Canvassed.
At the same time, J. A. H Hopkins,
one OF the six progressive democratic
national committeeman who formed
part Of the democratic political ma
chine. carried out his promise made to
the President last night to canvass
Congress- to sec exactly what strength
the susenB. Anthony suffrage amend
ment would have as an emergency war
measure.
The news that the President had is.
sued a pardon for the women who have
gone to the workhouse because they
chose to picket the White House when
warnN they were violating the law,
upset N,mporarily all the plans the
women at Cameron house headquarters
OF the woman's party had been making.
Together with their counsel, which
today began to swell in numbers, they
had planned several big moves One
was to ask an appeal from the verdict
of the Police Court Another was to
bring Theodore Roosevelt. into the dis
cusston. Another was to get many ma.
tional committeeman to urge the Presi-
dent to get behind the suffrage amend-
ment.
The presidential pardon stops all OF
these things temporarily, at least,
However. Miss Burns declared today
that another band of women would att
tempt another demonstration that
would eclipse all previous efforts at ap-
peal by banners.
No Statement From White House.
The news Of the pardon was made
public at the White House about noon
by Secretary Tumulty. He had the
pardon in his hand. a formidable docu-
ment. setting forth the circumstances ,
Of the trial and verdict. and declaring
that the President pardoned the six.
teen women 1t was signed by Presi- I
dent Wilson and attested by Attorney
General Gregory. Mr.. Tumulty was
asked whether there was any comment
to make. He replied there was not;
that the pardon must speak for itself !
and that there would be no statement !
from the White House as to the Presi.-
dents reasons.
Right to Refuse Pardon.
AS soon as the pardon had been mads
public at the White House it was sent
to the Department of Justice Pardon I
Finch mailed the document to 4
Supt. Whitaker. but the Attorney Gem ,
eral directed that the announcement Of
the pardon should be sent by telegraph. +
Mr. Finch was asked what would hap
pen II the women refused to be par>
doned
They have a perfect right to refuse
It. and nothing can force them out as
long as they want to serve the SEN
tence. The pardon is operative only
on their acceptance" he said.
Miss Lucy Burns. when informed Of
the pardon. said:
This is an entirely inadequate way to
for the right of franchise The
women are not asking for their freedom:
hey are asking for the right to vote.
ions we have been making. There will
De another one. but just when has not
been determined"
Dudley Field Malone. collector of tho
port Of New York. who has espoused tho
cause Of the pdckets. was informed of the
pardon. He had no comment to make. >
Many Conferences Held.
In the twenty-four hours preceding
The issuance Of the pardon there had been
much activity on the part Of the woman's
party representatives here and their
counsel. George Gordon Battle, j. A.
1. Hopkins, Mr.. Malone and others OF
consulted last night and
oday. At an informal discussion Of
he situation yesterday afternoon
ieorge Creel, the government pub,
icity manager, took a hand, and his
presence gave rise to q report that th0
President had sent him as an ambassa.
lor to the women to offer a pardon.
That the subject of pardon was dis
,ussed was not denied, but Mr.. CreeI
denied that the Presidents
lad asked him to intervene.
Messrs Hopkins, Malone and Creel
Jaw the President, it is stated, at diff
erent times, and at all three discus
ions the plight Of the women was
discussed. Mr.. Hopkins, whose wife Ia
me of the sixteen. issued a statement,
n which he said:
IT came from the interview with the
impression that the President was
eeply shocked at the whole affair and
ince learning the circumstances has
lad only one thought, namely, to
traighten out the whole matter. The
President asked me for suggestions az
o what might be done and ! replied
hat in view Of the seriousneU Of tho