South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-02-20
AMENDMENT LOST
BY SINGLE VOTE
House Comes Near Mastering
Up the Two-thirdS Sup
port Necessary.

INDIANAPOLIS. Ind, Feb. 20
Developments in the house Monday
afternoon in connection with the
woman's suffrage bill indicate a
strong spirit OF rivalry, as TO which
party shall have the honor Of carry
ing the suffrage flag, and the passage
Of the bill not later than Friday,
appears 10 be a foregone conclu-
sion The senate bill will be report
ed out in the house Tuesday, Chair
man Vesey announced. The house
bill came within one vote of passage
under the twO-thirds rule on amend
ments for bills on third readings.
The amendment submitted by Rep.
Vesey sought TO restore the bill TO
the terms Of the measure as intro
duced in the house. The bill was
on third reading and a two-thirds
vote was required to make the de-
sired amendment. On roll call, sc
votes were cast for the amendment
ard 25 against One more vote would
have made the house bill conform
- the senate bill and the measure
would have Oeen up TO the governor
for approval. Eleven republicans,
Davis of Lake, Davis of Jay. Day,
Dynes. Geddes. Harris. Houghton,
Kuhlman, Miller Of Kokomo, Miller
Of TippecanOe and Moore voted
against the amendment. Democrats
voting for the amendment and be-
ing for the bill were: Adams. Bon
ham, Burt, Cook. Cooper, Cravens,
Curry, Douglas. Downey. Durham,
Harmon, Henke, Jacoby, Kreig Nc
Nagnny, Walker and Westfall.
Cravens Votes for Amendment.
Minority Leader Cravens. while
Directing TO the Alldredge bill and
the effort TO amend il so as TO make
il like the senate bill finally voted
for the amendment and indicated
that he would support the bill.
Rep. HOughton OF Shoals, a re-
publican, made the only formal
speech against the bill. He criticiz-
ed the lobby tactics of the WOmen's
Federated clubs and declared that
ne represented a vast majority of
the women Of the state when he
opposed the bill. Il have been
threatened with political death by
this Federated club lobby because I
prefer TO vote my sentiments rather
than 10 accept the dictates of these
good women. L want 10 say that /
never asked for an office in my life.
What few political honOrs l have
enjoyed have come to me unsought,
that it will do them no good TO come
down into Martin and Davies coun-
ties and attempt TO get my political
scalp. l know the women of those
two counties and they know me and
1 do not fear the result"
Eesey Speaks for Bill.
Rep. Vesey made the principal
speech for the bill. He said "if suf-
frage is to be extended to women.
and / believe most of us concede that
II will be before mnay hours have
passed. let us do so in a broad.
generous and manly way. The house
believe erred in amending the bill
a few days ago so as TO exclude them
from participating in the selection
of delegates to the constitutional
convention. The purpose of my
amendment at this time is TO correct
that error. Surely, it is but logical
and just that we give women the
right to pass upon what the consti-
tutional convention does. We have
voted for state prohibition, and we
expect TO see prohibition in the basic
law of the state. This being true, il
appeals to me that the one necessary
thing for us to do now, If our votes
along this line have been sincere.
and that is TO place the ballot in the
hands Of women as soon as possible.
so as to clinch for all time to come
the social reform which we have
just inaugurated."
Rep. Clapp of Fort Wayne and
Rep. Alldredge Of Anderson also
spoke in behalf of the bill.
After the effort 10 amend the
house bill had failed, Rep. Vesey's
motion TO make the measure a spec
ial order for Friday afternoon at .
o'clock prevailed.