Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-11-30
BEST WAY TO GIVE
VOTES TO WOMEN
The Slow Process of Amending
State Constitutions Must Be
Abandoned for Congress
sional Action
BY IDA HUSTED HARPER

~ HupltcS III StNuIlnE lll' So oi''''
tive vote for woman suffrage in New York
was the strong support of the amendment
by the press of the state. II was the great
est ctory ever won for woman suffrage,
as more women were enfranchised than
ever before at one time, even in an entire
country, and what is the most gratifying
of all this was the frce-will Offering of the
ajority of the men. while in other coun-
tries the vote has been given to women by
an act Of parliament.
Perhaps, however, the most important re-
suit Of the election is the immense impetus
given to the effort for an amendment to
the Federal Constitution. which is the ulti-
mate goal of the vast majority of suffragists'
The National suffrage Association was or
ganzed in 1869 by Elizabeth Cady stanton.
Susan H. Anthony and other leaders for
the express purpose of securing such an
amendment 1t has never devated from
this object and its representatives have
appeared before every Congress since that
date to urge their claims They soon
learned that Congress would not act until
pressure could be brought to bear from
states which made made the experiment
therefore they began campaigns for amend
ing state constitutions which have been
continued up to the present time. Equal
suffrage existed in eleven states before
New York was added to the lis, Each Of
these adjoined one or more where il al
ready had been tried and its results were
well known. This fact in itself is con-
vincing answer to the arguments against it
Burdensome Cost of State Campaigns
Women should not he compelled to 60
on for years hearing the heavy burden II
these State campaigns Not in any other
state have they as many experienced lead
crs as in New York and probably not i'll
any other can they raise prOportonately
the amount Of money they have raised
here. This campaign Of 1917 cost about
s7o0.o00. all contributed withn the state
and principally by women. There were
rot more than goo in the city and state who
received sa aries. The money all went for
necessary and legitimate expenses. main-
tanning headquarters in many places, adj
vertiSing, crcularizing voters and the Great
| ing of the most complete political organiza-
tiUn of women ever known For the last
three or four years thousands Of women
have given their services gratuitously. This
situation would have to he duplicated in all
of the thickly settled states to carry an
amendment. Favorable conditions existed
here which are not likely to obtain in other
campaigns. The war work of the women
| their registration, etc, we're ii tremendous
asset, and the men expressed their apprecia-
| ;ion with their ballots. The Socialist party
| is stronger here than in any other State
| and was large factor. one at least of the
| dominant parties favored the amendment
| The trade unions voted for it. The assist
| ance Of President Wilson was Il powerful
| influence. No such combination of cir
| cumstanccs would be possible in any other
state.
There should be careful consideration of
| what it means for the women to appeal to
the individual voters. 1t means that they
| must beg and pray for the support of
! thousands Of ignorant immigrants and of
men Of every creed, race, color and condi-
| tiOn. It means that they must go on their
| knees to the liquor and vice interests and
| 10 the Incorporate, immoral and degraded
! of every kind. In the North and in the
| South it seems as if every man should wish
to spare women from this humiliation in-
| stead OF forcing it upon them in order to
| obtain their enfranchscment 1t seems as
| If the men in every State should wish to
| set their women free from the drudgery of
| these state campaigns in order that their
services might be utilized along the many
!
| so much needed.
| In number of States the constitutions
are SO wOrded that they cannot be amended
| and in various others new ones can be made
only at intervals of many, many Years In
some of them only one amendment can be
submitted at time and in still others one
| cannot be reSubmitted until five years have
elapsed. If one state every year adopts
WON IN suffrage. which has been the aver
| age for the last seven years il will require
J thirty-SiX years for the women in an of
| the States to be enfranchsed. If two States
! eaca year are gained. which is the most
| that could be hoped for, eighteen years will
| he required. Long before that time every
| progressive country in the world will have
| given suffrage to women, and the United
| states Will come in at the very end of the
| procession. This is unthnkable.
Advantages of Federal Amendment
If the position is taken that three -fourths
| of the state Legislature shall not enforce
| their will on the other one-fourth. then
| II must be accepted that the Federal Con-
| stitution never shall be amended Those
who maintain the States right to determine
| its own electorate declare in fact that the
| men Of the State shall decide who shall
| vote and may hold the women forever in
a dsfranchsed condition. if they choose
| 20 do so. II does not mean the right Of
| the people of the State. but simply the righI
| Il the men, and this is absolutely contrary
to the principle Of individual representation
| on which our Government Is supposed tC
! lie founded.
II is generally conceded that universa
woman suffrage is inevitable. Why insis
| on the State-by-State method which vii
make it impossible during the present gen
| Grafton, when a Federal amendment woult
| end the contest within a COmpa ra lively few
years? After it has been submitted by
| two-thirds Of each house OF Congress- II
must then be accepted by the Legislature
| Of three-fourths of the States. Their mem