New-York tribune., 1918-09-30
Sufragists Face
Delay or Defeat
BY Senate To-day
Amendments Supporters
Undecided as to Which
Fate Would Be Better
By Emma Bugbce

ASHINGTON. Sept 29-"To kill
or not to kill the suffrage amendment"
that is the question that no one can
answer tonight. Whether it is wiser
to bring the amendment up and kill it
tomorrow for the purpose of getting
every Senator's record IN black and
white for the November elections or
whether sui'ragists should cling to the
good cid. doctrine "Whilc there is life
there is hope" 10 one knows.
Suflragists are divided into two op-
posing camps on this. as on every other
issue. The National American Woman
Suffrage Association, for whom Miss
Mary Garrett Hay was spokesman to-
day, was for "blutfing it through"
The fighting blood Of the "staiA old
National' was up. If defeat was in
evltable IN this Congress. Miss Hay
wanted to face it quickly and get ready
tor the battle in the next Congress,
and she wasn't sure it was inevitable.
Still Clings to Hope
Miracles have happened in less
item than one night she said 81
would rot be surprised if something
happened before the hour for the vote
nave uOl gwen up nope.
The National Woman's Party. how
ever. headed by Miss Alice Paul, still
clngs to the doctrine Of the yespon-
sibllity of the Democratic party. and
believing tnat the Democrats would
not dare face the November elections
with the defeat OF the Suffrage Amend
ment to explain away, sees reason to
hope that the Democrats will not al
low vote tomorrow.
Senator Jones. of New Mexico, chair
man of the Suffrage Committee in the
Senate, Is said to be opposed to hring-
ing 1t up for defeat tomorrow, but he
refused to make any statement "a this
effect to the press
Il do not know what action VIII be
taken Tomorrow he said this after
noon at the Chevy Chase Club.
President Wilson went to chur,h this
morning and spent the afternoon out
driving. dozen keen suffrage eyes
are watching the White House Tonight
TO see if any of the doubtful Sot. nern
Senators are summoned for conference
III the head Of the Democratic party
1T pleases the detective instinct but
few really believe that the Pre- Sident
will take any further part in the fight.
Most sutfragists think the attack made
by Senator Pittman on Friday against
the Republican party was intended as
an alibi for the Democrats in the COM
ing elections, and that, having bOilt up
that alibi in the Cong, assional Record,
the Democrats will risk the attacks of
the women voters in November.
Tomorrow Last Chance
In case the amendment is killed to-
morrow it is extremely unlikely that
it will be acted upon this winter or
at any time until the new Congress
takes its seat in March.
The personnel of the Senate will
probably be about the same during the
winter as it is at present, for the four
new votes from New Jersey. New
Hampshire, South Carolina and Ken
lucky are not expected to differ from
those of the present appointecs. More
over, there will be important var ap-
bills before the Sen te all
winter, so that the parliamentary diff
hcultles of getting the measure recon-
sdered would be almost insurmount-
able.
"If the bill is killed Tomorrow" said
Miss Hay, II am in favor of letting it
stay dead until March, Then we will
have new Congress, with mary new
faces not only in the Senate, tut in
the House. We could introduce it in
the House early in the session and pass
1T by q much larger vote thaa we did
last January. There will be twelve
new suffrage Congressman from Texas
and four new ones from New York. as
we'll as other scattering votes from
handsome majority in the House. it
would again come before the Senate.
and they would not dare turn j down
second time -