Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-03-23
IOWA WOMEN TO
VOTE ON SUFFRAGE
SENATE PLEDGES ITSELF TO SUB.
NIT QUESTION TO THOSE
MOST INTERESTED.
Especial Correspondence


Des Moines, March %. Iowa is
scheduled to witness one of the most
extraordinary campaigns and elections
in her history in the fall of 1918.
The women of the state are going
to the ballot box on referendum vote
and tell the thirty-eighth general as
sembly whether or not they want the
ballot, under a suffrage program In
augurated in the Iowa senate yester-
day.
The senate passed the Parker joint
resolution for the re-submission OF the
suffrage constitutional amendment to
vote Of the people by vote OF IS TO
13.
But before that resolution ever went
to vote, thirty-fve members of the
senate signed statement pledging
themselves to support another resolu.
ton to be introduced later providing
for the referendum vote among all wo-
men over twenty-one years of age at
the general election in November, 1918.
The resolution, which will be father
ed by Senator Kmball of Council
Bluffs, will be carried - the senators
are pledged. Suffragists themselves
have endorsed the plan. Champions
Of suffrage in the senate have endorsed
it. The opposition to wOmen's suffrage
at least the great majority of the sena-
tors opposed to votes for women, sup
ported it.
There Is no reason to doubt, there
fore, that both the resolution for the
suffrage amendment and the referen-
dunn will be approved by the house
when they come to roll call. The house
Is scheduled to take up consideration
OF the suffrage resolution Friday when
1t will be called up by Murray of Buena
Vista as special order Of business.
The woman's referendum was agreed
to after two hours contest in the sem
ate yesterday afternoon When the suf-
frage resolution was called up by Sen
ator Parker Wednesday morning, Sen
ator Kimball Immediately introduced
an amendment calling for the referen-
dun vote at the next general election.
He declared the women could then
decide whether they want the ballot
and In so deciding, inform the thirty
eighth assembly which must also pass
the suffrage resolution before 1t can go
to vote. whether it should be sent to
the people.
AmenoF1SNt Is fou9nt.
Suffrage champions Immediately
started battle to prevent the amend.
ment being attached to the resolution
on the grounds that it endangered the
validity OF the submission. They ask.
ed that it be submitted as a separate
measure. Senator Kimball refused to
withdraw. He had the support of the
anti-suff members Of the senate. The
Issue was debated throughout the af-
ternoon session. About o'clock, SEN
ator Newberry saw that the vote on
the amendment was altogether an un-
certain quantity. When the vote was
about to be called for. he hurriedly in.
duced several senators to maintain a
filibuster until he could circulate the
pledge. When he had completed \the
canvass OF the senate. he had thirty.
five signers who declared they will
support the Kimball proposal If 1t were
as an amendment and sub.
mitted as an individual measure later.
The senator consented, the amendment
was withdrawn and the suffrage reso-
luton received an overwhelming vote
The referendum resolution was expect
ed to be introduced today.
Whitmore Explains Vote.
The following voted against the re-
submission -Broxam Byington, Cas-
we'll. Chase. Evans, Frailey. Greene.
Hale. Henigbaum. Price, Schrup,
and Whitmore. Whitmore
filed an explanation of his vote. He
said that while ne favors the re-sub-
his county voted against suf.
frage in the last election and he there
fore was compelled to represent his