New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-25
House Decides
Suffrage Shall
HaveCommittee
Leaders Look Upon Majority
Vote of IA as a Big
Victory
IStan Cornpordenccl

WASHINGTON, Sept. "a What
amounts to a majority of "a for woman
suffrage was obtained in the House Of
Representatives to-day, not the two
thirds majority which would be neces-
sary to pass constitutional amend
mspt but heavier vote than the
seausT' has ever scored before.
The vote was on a resolution Great
ing a special suffrage committee, which
in the future will handle in the House
ell suffrage questions. This deprives
the Judiciary Committee, the hostility
of majority of which has delayed
progress on suffrage for a long time,
of control of the resolution submitting
the suffrage amendment to the states.
The result Of to-day's vote will be that
a special committee, consisting entirely
of men who favor woman suffrage, will
be appointed. This committee can re-
port a suffrage constitutional amend
ment resolution favorably and ask for
action by the House at any time.
There were many references TO the
White House pickets to-day, but most
speakers took the attitude taken by
Representative Clyde Kelly, Of Pitts
burgh, who said the actions of these
misguided women should not keep all
the millions of other women from get
ting Justice. Miss jeanette Rankin
warmly applauded this statement.
To-day's Vital Question
Every one admits that the question
of woman suffrage is a vital question
before the American people to-day, and
that the great body Of women who are
undecided are now vitality interested IN
this question" said Miss Rankin. 80
we believe that this is n question that
should take all Of the time Of one com
mittee.
"Some have told us to go to the
states. OF course, we have always
known that woman suffrage was con-
stitutional according to the Federal
Constitution, but some Of the state con-
stitutions disfranchise the women.
"Some of our state constitutions
make 1t very difficult to get PROPOSE
ton through the legislatures. For In
stance, in the State of Alabama, where
the Legislature meets only once in four
Years. Some Of the states require the
ratification of two legislatures. Such
are the States of New York, Pennsyl-
vania and New Jersey. Some require
the ratification before it goes TO the
people, and again after 1t has been
voted on by the people. Some states
require a majority of all the votes cast
at the election, and that is very difficult
to obtain.
ave are simply asking that you give
the sanction of your opinion on TINS
question Of whether or not woman SUI
frage is a question Of vital enough
concern for the House Of Representa-
tives to consider it seriously and bring
before the House a report that VIII
make the people Of the United States
realize that this body has come TO the
conclusion that the women must either
ask the men in their own states, or
whether it can be done in the dignifled
way of making il unconstitutional Tor
the states to disfranchise the women
Accompanying the passage of the sui
fragists committee rule was much ora
tory, in which suffragists were both
commended and condemned.
Representative Campbell, Of Kansas.
sarcastically referred TO gentlemen
from Georgia, Alabama and Texas who
vote large sums for the elimination Of
the boil weevil in their states and now
raise the cry of states rights. There
was no cry of states rights when We
voted to keep the boil weevil out Of
their states" he said.
Representative Walsh, of Massachus-
etts. called on the House to not yield
to these iron jawed angels. They are
poor, bewildered, deluded creatures" he
said. Later he said the suffragists
wore "short skirts and short hair"
Representative Blanton, Of Texas,
said the House ought to take the women
out of the class of lunatics and con-
victs.
Committee Is Opposed
Representative Webb, of North Caro-
lima. chairman of the Judiciary Com
nlittee, which has had the suffrage reso-
luton pigeonholed for months. said his
committee had not acted on the resolu-
ton for the reason that the committee
was opposed to suffrage; that the COM
mittee felt the House was opposed to 1t,
and that the President was against SUI
frage except by states.
OF the los votes against the suffrage
resolution the great ma aiority were cast
by Democrats. Only few members
from the Middle West voted against the
resolution. They were Representatives
Moores and Denton, OF Indiana; Hull
and Scott, Of Iowa; Classon and Nolgt,
of Wisconsin; Nichols and Scott, Of
Michigan. and Volstead, of Minnesota.
While the House was voting four OF
the Woman's Party so-called pickets
were arrested for displaying banners
before the White House. They were re-
leased on bond TO appear tomorrow.