Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-03-08
VARE LEADS SUFFRAGE
FORCES in SENATE
Advocates of Equal Franchise
Expect to Unite, Factions
in Support of Cause
PRUMBAUGH F r E N d l. Y
samuel A. Whitaker, Penrose Lieu
tenant, Sponsor of Amendment
in House

curraee strategists have announced n
nolitical coup, which even their opponents
have admitted will go far toward lining up
al factions in the present Legislature in
sunnort of the woman suffrage amendment
su This is revealed in their announce
Int that in the upper branch their leader
I'D champion will be Senator Edwin IL.
ware, of Philadelphia.
~he full significance OF this revelation
r,ev he appreciated when 1t is recalled that
manresentatiye Samuel A. Whitaker. of
rnaster County. a Penrose lieutenant, is
.nonsnr of the suffrage amendment in the
Iiouse and suffragsts declare that the Ware
Ioodership carries with II the full strength
ri Governor Martin c. Brumbaugh, who, in
,act sufragists say has promised to do
.u bo can to have his entire following in
both House and Senate vote to pass bills
which will authorize woman suffrage
amendment in 1920
t,pon the other hand. although oppo-
rents of suffrage say that the suffragists
are basing their hopes OF senator Penrose
,upport upon statements made by him last
i saiI the suffragsts also reveal for the first
time tina. they have had recent reiteration
oI ne Senator's promise of aid
Thus, the suffrage forces declare that
any who oppose them in the Legislature
co, only will be repudiatng their national
nar,v platform. but wfll be repudiating
,hoir leaders. under whatever factonal di-
,ision they may come and in most cases
will be basng their opposition upon alle-
s,ance to some force which they Will not
openly admit.
When the alignment on the amendment
comes the suffragists declare that they are
,renared to show how opponents have
stood upon other progressive legislation.
Apart from their strategy in choosing
their House and Senate leaders, the suf-
fragists are known to consider as their
hest weapon the S50,000,000 good roads
, amendment, which personally they do not
oppose but which they declare in all its
ohases parallels the woman suffrage amend
ment This amendment was defeated at
the nolls in 1913. was reintroduced and
nassed in 1915, and must pass again this
session to secure a vote again in 1918.
Senator Ware, who is chosen by the
women as their Senate leader, has been a
constant friend of suffrage, and was a val
nable asset in their last fight in the 1913
and 1915 sessions of the Legislature.
In contrast to the seasoned campaigner
who will direct the progress of their amend
ment bill in the Senate-Senator Vare-suf-
fragists have chosen as their House leader
a Younger tactician, Samuel A. Whitaker,
of Chester County.
When last elected to the Legislature Mr.
whitaker was sewing up the Mexican bor-
der with the Phoenixvile Battery, the old
est organization of its kind in the State
Mr. Whitaker was graduated from the law
department of the University of Pennsyl-
vania in 1899 and practices in Phladel-
phia He has been president of the State
Institute for Feeble Minded at Spring City
and has been interested in public libraries
and other activities in his home county and
tn the eastern part of the State.