New-York tribune., 1917-12-17
Mrs. Gait Hopes Conven-
tion Was Last To Be
Held in Washington
South Helps Cause
wonen Report Converts
Among Dixie's Members
Of Congress

v4SVrNGTON. Dec. l6.-"Aud so We
10 the end Of our eonvention-the
~. ve believe. which VIC shall ever
,g5 in Washington
wi,b .besc words Mrs. Carrie Chap
.. Cat. dropped her Csvel on the
.5-,ped table SO Polls Theatre to-
=, The suffrage audience rose. and
~, Newton D. Baker. wife Of the Sec
-..,rv Of wa-. stepped to the front Of
-. ,'s.forn 90 lead in the singing Of
sT,e star-Spang,ed Banner
Hone is strong in tho hearts Of the
,ns-,eists as they leave for their
t,nss tonight tina, the Federal amend
its an assured thing and that this
|, A,ir last convention in Washington.
NJ, Gait made a statement concerning
a, Suffrage prospects this evening, as
follows:
syo have every reason 20 believe
h,, the Federal suffrage amendment
Ill psss the Goth Congress. The men
=, the Hill-thst Is. at the Capitol
,u Us they cannot endure the thought
A. Great Britain and Canada surpsss-
mus in the generous application of
3,noe-acy. They tell US that, and ] be-
lieye them.
Because Of this several prominent
SoB,bern Corgressmen have within
t.x dsvs changed their point Of view
>, Federal suffrage. They frankly ae-
.,ov,edre that the doctrine Of states
r,rss, applied TO woman suffrage
r,vld keep the United States behind
other countries.
Southern Women Active
rss fact that Southern Congress
40, control Congress, and are there
so-e masters OF the suffrage situation,
has spurred Southern women to an ac-
.ivj.y which has been the most inter
,.,inr Phase Of this suffrage conven-
ton.
show Congress" was the way Il was put
BIZ Nrs. Gulford Dudley, Of Tennessee,
this morning. Hitherto our Southern
men have said we did not want SUI +
frsge. We cannot allow them TO say
that any longer. We have organized a .
Council Of Southern Women, who viii .
direct the campaign during the Christ /
mas recess and until the hour or the /
vote
The Southern women had a confer .
eree this morning at the Suhrage .
House. on Rhode Island Avenue, at
which 10 was decided 20 send a memo .
rial o. their wishes 10 President VII .
son. The memorial will be signed b.
prominent Southern suffragists. among
Them Mrs. Lc Roy Springs, Of Charles
ton: Mrs. Harriet y. Lynch, president .
o. the South Carolina Suffrage Asso- .
eistion: Mrs u. $. Holmes, of Louis .
ANA: Mrs. Elizabeth II. Potter, OF
Texas: Mrs. T. T. Cotram, Of Arkan-
sas; Mrs. Thomas jefferson Smith, OF .
Kentucky. and Mrs. Kate Waller Bar
rstt, Of Virginia.
Mexicans May Rule. Texas
~The women of Texas arc going 20 .
be ruled by Mexicans unless this bill
goes through" declared Mrs. Potter, OF .
Texas. "Our laws permit man 70 .
come across the border and vote as .
soon as he declares his intention Of be- .
coming citizen. The same law pre-
vents our husbands and sons who are .
a, war from voting az all. That leaves .
Us totally unrepresented at the polls .
AZ time when the country need every (
.oysl vote 10 can muster"
Arkansas, where the women have com
plete primary suffrage, and MISSOURI
where Champ Clark has lined up most
or the representatives for suffrage, are
expected 20 cast almost solid suffrage
votes in Congress.
The Southern women declared that
President Wilson was himself working
for the suffrage bill quietly, and that
h.s would carry the bill even If he
ad not come out in public support OF
H. Even Senators Tillman and Narda-
nan, whose opposition TO suffrage has
been rock-r.bbed, were mentioned IN
hopeful tones by the optimists to-day.
Tes2s and Louisiana each have one
suffrage senator already.
Forty-eight Watchers viii Remain
Forty-eight women. one for each
state in the Union. will stay over IN
Washington 70 watch their bill during
me Intervening time until IL comes up
Tor vote. The date Will probably be
SCI on Tuesday. and January 10 is the .
lime expected by the friends of the
cause, although 10 was said in some
quarter that the opponents were so
provoked yesterday az the suffrage sue
cess IN having the vote postponed until
after the holidays that they would hold
up now as long a they possibly could.
Nr. Gait viii stay In town herself TO
Keep ar eye on Congress.
lt Is not suffrage in itself. but suf-
itge in its relation % the war, which
nas hiled the hearts OF the women
throughout the days in Washington.
with every street dotted with men IN
1hski. and the gates Of the White House
eosed suggestiyely, when they went
Aght-seeng, the women could not have
aeaped the war tension, even had they
not carried, many Of them, little red
wars over their own hearts. Scarcely
= woman Of prominence In the conven-
uon but has a son or two sons in the
service, while Mrs. Kate Waller Barrett
hSs Two sons and daughter driving
amDulaneey in France. The programmes
u The convention have been equally di-
Noed between what shall We do for
.shrage - and "Nhat shall we do for
The war;
Women's Allegiance Pledged
DR. Shaw. chairman Of the Women
Somnittee Of the Council OF National
DDcenee, and Miss Helen Fraser, Of
1chgland, and Mrs. Nellie McClung. Of
NSnaoa, spoke on women in war at this
afternoons meeting.
ne want 20 give our country our
enoiwded allegiance" said DR.. Shaw.
ne want 70 have all our time and all
Dur enthusiasm for war work. We don't /,