The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1917-12-11
WILSON'S INFLUENCE ON
VOTES FOR WOMEN
Especial to the Start

White House gates should have been
present as was when the Senate con-
sidered and passed the resolution de-
claring war On Austria-Hungary.
Senator Stone of Missouri, chairman
| Of the resolution committee, Senator
Lodge OF Massachusetts and other
speakers urged the passage of the
resolution, without amendment, be-
cause if President Wilson had wished
! to declare war on the other German
allies, then he would have so stated in
his message The resolution went
through without any amendment even,
being suggested.
Speaking of the passage of the fed
efal suffrage amendment, Mrs. John
Rogers of New York, who presided at
| Friday afternoons meeting, said
Whatever happens to the amendment
when it comes before the House for
a vote, President Wilson will be re,
sponsible" Mrs. Rogers brought this
statement to the conference as mes
sage from the women voters of New
York, who are supporting the federal
amendment.
| 4 big delegation is attending the
conference with many southern states,
even Georgia and Florida and Louis
lana, being represented. The two
Florida representatives are myself
little Mrs. Mary Nolan of Jackson
vile, member Of the United Daugh-
tiers of the Gonfederacy, and an en-
thusiastic Red Cross worker.
Mrs. Nolan told me that she gave
up her Red Cross work to come to
Washington to picket when she heard
of the inhuman treatment accorded
Alice Paul, the leader of the party,
and many other incarcerated women
whose offense was picketing, a right
accorded to them under the Clayton
act. 1t is wise to remember that the
District authorities avoided complica-
tions in sentencing the women fol
blockading traffic.
All the pickets who are able are
attending the conference where they
are naturally honored figures and ]
have been privileged to meet most OF
them. At the close of the session the
pickets were presented with pins SYM
bolic of their Imprisonment. Some of
the women who were imprisoned are
gray-haired and quiet, little women,
like your mother or mine. Mrs. Nolan.
Florida's representative in the prison
crowd, is 70 years of age. College
bred girls and social workers, society
matrons and working women fought
side by side for their right to peace
fully petition for the passage Of the
Susan B. Anthony amendment. / met
one little girl. government clerk,
who had done "time" for picketing.
She was not only tai. 4 back into ser
vice but given a. raise in salary.
Just what the reversal of the policy
in setting free all the suffrage pris.
oners means, no one is quite sure but
one one point everyone does agree
and that is that the amendment will
pass the House when it comes up for
vote.
lie the amendment fails then the
policy of the party will be practically
the same, it has been brought out at
the conference. Only more so, If you
see what mean. Organizations will
be strengthened and of course lobby
ing will go on as usual. For five
years the Congressional Union, or
wonan's party, as it is now called,
has maintained lobby during the
sessions of Congress and has been
given audiences before the president
and been active in every way in
spreading propaganda for the amend
of strength in working for small
suffrage favors..
Several members of the Woman's
Suffrage Association have remarked
to me that the party was simply
working for the glory and to get
their name before the public so that
the work of the association which has
been organized fifty years, would re-
ceive no credit For my part will
take the vote and let the credit go.
The association need not worry about
the honor. They will nominally be
given the honor because of good be-
havior.
Politicians, however, wise in the
way of the world, have also told me
that if it had not been for the pickets
the amendment would have been lost
in the committee.
had been warned that the picket.
ers were a bunch of naggers; that
they were well meaning women but
working as tools for Germany; that
they were anarchists seeking to over
throw the government. Oh, yes, all
of thisi
What l did find when arrived was
that the women were simply busy
women, working for suffrage and the
Red Cross and other war charities
Just as you and /. Even at sessions
of the conference the women sit and
knit on gray or khaki colored yarn.
Sentiment has changed here too.
Since the pickets were released peo-
pie who would like to belong but
were a trife afraid of public opinion,
dared to come out openly to help in
the work of passing the amendment,
II. hot