Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1917-04-27

KILLS SUFFRAGE
Votes For Women Defeated
by Three Votes.
1O1 FOR AND "a AGAINST

Bill Fails in House to Get Constitu.
tionaI Majority and Cause Must Now
Wait Two Years.
Woman suffrage went down to dis
astrous and surprising defeat in the
house of representatives at Harris
burg, Pa.
But 1O1 of the 207 votes in the house
were cast for the constitutional amend.
ment giving the ballot to women and
ninety-four voted against it. A con-
stitutional majority of the house being
104, the measure was killed for the
session.
Suffrage leaders who crowded ane
galleries, had confidently expected and
predicted a vote of at least 130 for the
measure. A similar measure passed
the house in 1913 on third reading by
131 to 70 and again passed in 1915 by
13O to II. 1t was then submitted to
the voters and was defeated by close
vote at the polls.
The defeat was the most surprising
feature of the legislative session.
Even members of the house were as
tonished at the smallness Of the vote
for the measure.
The attitude of Miss Jeanette Ran
kin, of Montana, the first woman elect
ed to congress, when she was called
upon to cast her first vote in the
house at Washington, was cited with
telling effect as an argument against
suffrage. Not only Miss Rankin's
vote against war to defend the nation
against German aggression, but her
hysterical attack when she cast her
vote, as cited by Representative lsa'
dore Stern, and the argument was be-
lieyed to have had considerable effect
upon legislators.
The member from Philadelphia de-
scribed how Miss Rankin had become
hysterical, running her fingers through
her hair and sobbing when confronted
in the house Of representatives with
the necessity of voting for or against
war.
"What was the outcome?" Mr.. Stern
added. "TAe result was that when
urged by "Uncle Joe" Cannon to go on
record. Miss Rankin voted. NO and
sank sobbing into her chair.
"I volunteer to say" Mr.. Stern add
ed, chat we would not have the Dec
laration Of Independence had it de-
pended upon the women to declare
war against England. We would still
be under the yoke of a foreign ma
ton" Mr.. Stern evoked laughter by
declaring: 81 never heard Of 100 pei
cent man who favored woman suf
frage."
Repres antative John M. Flynn, Dem
ocrat, Elk, sprang surprise on the
house by moving that the vote by
which the measure was defeated be
reconsidered. Instead of posing as q
friend Of the measure, as he had been
reported to be, Flynn frankly declared
that his purpose in making the motion
was to have the bill disposed Of finally
Samuel A. Whitaker, after failing tc
get Flynn to withdraw his motion tc
reconsider, proposed that 1t be laid on
the table.
A roll call vote resulted in the de
feat of the motion to table by ninety
eight to min etv-fve. A motion to ad'
iourn was quickly made by the pro
ponents of the amendment, but was
voted down.
A roll call was then taken on the
Flynn motion and it was defeated by
101 to 80.
This finally killed the suffrage bill
for the session.
The unexpected defeat of woman
suffra~e does not necessarily mean
that its submission to the voters OF
Pennsylvania. who rejected it in 1915
will be postponed more than a year
Should the legislatures Of 1919 and
1921 pass an amendment, 1t could be
submitted to the voters in the fall oil
1921. Had the house and senate pass.
ed the measure this year 1t could not
have gone to statewide vote until
the fall of 1920.