The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-01-11
HOUSE PASSES
SUFFRAGE ACT
Amendment Adopted, 274-136'
After Bitter Debate.
THE SENATE Will AC1|
The Referendum Wins With Two
Votes More Than the Needed Two
Thirds

Thirds.
Washington, Jan. 1.-THE woman
suffrage constitutional amendment
resolution passed the house by vote
Of PA to 1876.
This was margin of two above the
required two-thirds MAORI y.
Early action by Ghe senate is looked
for. \ bill identical with that which
the house passed is already on the
senate calendar.
Unexpected opposition to the
amendment which developed during
the day in spite of the presidents
eleventh hour declaration in favor OF
the measure kept the result uncertain
up to the very last checking up of
the final roll-call.
Southern Democrats in some in
stances voiced bitter opposition
against the presidents action. Dur
ing the days debate this antagonism
from the south steadily increased I'M
til it locked for a time during the
first roll-call on the final vote that
the amendment had been defeate d.
Women, including many veteran
leaders in the suffrage movement
witnessed the triumph and appla uded
in the galleries.
After the bill was debated an
amendment by Representative Moores,
Indiana to provide for ratification by
special convention or popu' ar refer
endum by each state, instead Of by
state legislatures was beaten hy viva
voce vote, and Mr.. Moores demanded
a TOll-call.
The Moores amendment was defeat
ed. 272 to 131.
Representative Gard, of Ohio( an
opponent of the resolution, offered an
amendment to require ratification by
the states within seven years. This
was defeated, 246 to 159.
Republican Leader Mann, brought
from a Baltimore hospital, where he
had been for weeks, aroused a demon
stration by his unexpected appearance
to vote.
With President Wilson's ind9rse-
hent having insured them success, suf-
frage tacticans spent the day can vas
sing the senate Definite aSsurap ces
were obtained of a vote February /.
Expectation is that the same forces
which carried the amendment to sue
cess in the house will repeat them
selves in the upper branch of con-
gress and that the amendment Twill
be before the various legislatures for
ratification within a month. Suffrage
party Headquarters asserted the meas
ure would be part Of the national
consti II i0n within two years.
Before the debate opened Spea ker
Clark announced he would net vote
from the chair unless there was a
tie, in which case ne would vote4 for
amendment.
The session of the house was cfen-
ed with prayer by Billy Sunday, 1.-THE
evangelist. who invoked divine mercy
on the president, the cabinet, the al
lies and American soldiers. He re-
ferred to the world as sin cursed, de-
nounced the Germans as 'wo1ish
pack of Huns" and prayed for pc ace.
1t was a day of triumph for Miss
Jeanette Rankin. Of Montana. She
was acting floor leader of the Repub-
licans favoring the amendment. and
as such decided debate and assigned
the time to be allowed to each one.
On the desk before was a bank of
flowers.
But hy bit of inside" politics she
is deprived Of having the resolution
knOwn as the Rankin resolution"
Within the suffrage committee were
enough members to assure her the
honor. But Representative Meeker,
of Missouri, a member Of her party
the Republican party-has opposed
her campaign from the first. He is
an amt He declared in commi teh h.
would rather have the reso utiCn
known after Chairman Raker than
after the only woman ever elected ,c
congress in the United States. His
-snte settled the matter.