Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-03-09
Give Us Democracy
in America
Speech of Dudley Field Malone the Mass Meeting

talk and shriel<s could plainly be heard,
and when entered the room, found that
one window was nailed and another had
shutters on il, so that most OF the AR had
to come from these corridors on the inside.
And here was placed the leader OF this
party, AN honorable exponent, placed there
to reflect publicly upon her sanity.
talked to her for two hours. and she was
far more sane on all subjects than any
body, high or low. responsible for her IN
carceration there.
So | demanded that she be removed
forthwith. and she was removed.
| | have no intention nor desire TO re-
hearse the horrors of this situation, be-
cause they pass into the historic aspect oil
| the fight for woman suffrage, but | do
| wish to saw this That the men OF this
| government responsible for the man
, handling of these women, tor the beating
UP of dear old lady like Mrs. Nolan. '3
| years of age, will not only suffer IN per
Sonal damages, but tho cold judgment OF
history Will deprive them OF their rcpu-
tation for manhood, sportsrnsnshlp and
chivairv
Agitation X never an agreeable thing.
! and vet all the great measures of liberty
| Picketing is not an agreeable thing for
| The government that is picketed, II ism
| intended to be an agreeable thing. On the
other hand. it has never been the intention
| Of the leaders of the party, nor the spirit
! of the women plckcting, that they went
+, out TO be vindictive, or to annoy tho
President, or to do anything small, or
! petty, or personal.
1t is within the power Of the President
| and his adminiSt ration TO pass the Federal
| Suffrage Amendment And hope with
| all my heart that we shall have that full
J measure OF democracy in the na,lon. DO
| men OF the South want the women OF New
| York voting. when their own women are
denied the privilege and the night po the
| women of anv State want to be voting
| while their fellow-citlzens IN other States
ar, denied that privilege? And as long rs
Il remains fact that iii nearly lS States
| the women of those States cannot he en-
| franchiscd State hv State. because the
| mechanical laws Of the State make Il
| physical impossibilitv To do 50 dior from
| 25 TO 80 wears. then the only way to en-
| franchise all the women OF the country Is
| bv the massage Of tho Federal Amendment.
And why and what is the idea, what i
! the ohstinacy, what Is tho objection here
| is none sound in historic retrospect. There
| is nothing in collision with tho purposes
! of the nation But men say 10 me. Why
! do YOU agitatc for this now, IN the middle
| Of this war;" And my answer Is always
/ this AT the tinc Of the Civil War,
| Susan B. Anthony and her colleagues were
| importuncd bv statesmen and men Of
great distinction. like Horace Greeley and
| Wendell Phillips and William LLOYD Gar
rison, TO cease the agitation for suffrage,
| and if they did and devoted their whole
| attention to other things. that these men
| could guarantee them that the men Of the
| nation. out Of gratitude, when the Civil
| War WAS over, would see that the women
| Of the country were enfranchl-ed And
| vet. in all these long months and years and
! interminable days OF suffering Of hard
| shin. Of sacrifice. OF courage, the men OF
the nation and tho politicians of the nation
have felt no gratitude which would move
them"
| In nv experience IN politics statesmen
| and politicians are moved not neariy 50
| much by gratitude as ny the political
| power Of the opposition; and so there l.
| nothing inconsistent IN advocating this
measure Of democracy 81 the same time
that WE stand solidly behind the purposes
OF the President and the government II
the war Why. If we arc preaching
democracy for the masses OF Germany.
should We not set them this handsome ex-
| ample by granting q real democracy az
! home
There are two weapons for US IN this
war. not only the valiant millions of men
| m the army and navy who went forth in
| battle arrav to destroy the Kaiser and the
military clique, but also the political
| wcsu.on. And what Is the political
| weapon" II Is the use of craftsmanship
4 and Judgment which Will convince the
German people and the people of the
Central Nations that we are ambitious for
no territory, that we want no lndemnitleS
and no contribution-thatw We wish only
that the possibility OF another war shall
/ be DESTROYED, that we want armament to
/ be lowered forever, that we want the great
purposes OF a permanent world peace
! accomplished. And how can that be done?
/ 1t can be done best by taking every do
nestic step that the people OF the country
NAV take, by example, TO show TO the
people of Germany that we want 10 give
the fullest measure of democracy TO our
own people, and the biggest thing We can
/ do, the American people can do, Is TO
advocate, urge and see that the Federal
i Suffrage Amendment Is passed at this
session Of the Legislature.
Nv gfellow citizens, this thing must be
done. We hope with all our hearts that
agitation will not be necessary. We like
to feel that there Is going to be enough
craftsmanship In the administration and
IN Congress to pass the measure at this
session. and no one should want credit or
distinction for having been a participant
in great battle like this for human
liberty There will be credit enough for
all, and We shall give 70 the world in this
tangible way the earnest proof that We
shall stand for the democratic measures in
America which will make us sound and
unified here, in order that out in the world
..blazc, on fire. in the midst Of chaos and
disaster, behind The battle line Of our
soldiers. behind The banner Of our fleets,
there will be the democratic purpose Of i
great nation, TO make America a. re-
/ public and AS a democracy, pre-emInent,
not only III aspiration, but in the example
that She shall give ~ the world.
IN THE FIRST LINE TRENCHES