Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1918-12-17
A Burnt Offering

The latest achievement of the Woman's Party
win not increase the modicum Of respect in which
it is held and will not add to public sympathy with
aims While President Wilson was paying the tribute of
America at Iafayettes tomb Sunday certain mem
bcrs of the Women's Party were preparing a program
to desecrate Lafayette Square in New York, by burn
ming there the presidents speeches including even
two he delivered since his arrival in France. In
what way these women conceive that that act will
help their cause is mystery to those unfamiliar with
the mental processes of small children
We know that the great mass of womanhood in
America will not only not be in sympathy with such an
outbreak but themselves will sincerely regret that
such a thing was decided upon by even small sec
ton of American womanhood, for it will be made to
reflect upon all womanhood. It will recall that saying
Of John ingalls,, provoked by the treatment Of the
of Kansas of him. after his defeat, only
women and savages. scalp the dead
We will admit that the presidents attitude to-
ward woman suffrage has been q varying one, char
acteristc of the single track mind" which the presi-
dent said he had. He at time favorable to
woman suffrage only by states, but later he declared
in favor of national suffrage as a privilege
tho devotion Of the women Of America had earned.
and their labors and sacrifices during the war It
is also that since this change of view the presi-
dent has pressed this legislation with that vigor
with which forced other legislation through
gress The president, however, was aware of the
stubborn opposition of southern senator's whom he
did TO provoke into opposition to war meas
So far the latter concerned he felt that
he had the country with him, the south as well as
the north He knew that the southern senator's would
ultimately yield. But he also that these SEN
ators were representative of the south with respect
to equal suffrage
It is also probably true that certain members of
the Womans Party were treated with scant courtesy
at the White House but>we must also say that they
had hardly earned treatment by their con
duct toward the president.
Anyway there is nothing to be gained by this
proposed affront the president and certainly the
mind of senator win be changed by the confagra-
ton of the presidents speeches In such fire we
believe would be consumed much of the strength of
the Woman's Party.
That the party exerted a considerable influence in
the late congressional elections we believe Probably
but for that influence the republicans would have failed
to secure control of the senate we may question
if such foolish affront the president as this had
been offered before the elections whether the nflu-
ence Of the party would have been so great.
There are great many people who differ from
the president in various vital matters but cannot
believe that had entered the head Of any man
to burn his speeches in order to get even with him
We speak Of this incident the more freely because
Of our own consistent advocacy Of suffrage
whether it is secured state by by an amend
ment to the federal constitution preferably by the
ter. No senator offer good reason for opposi-
ton to the amendment for delaying action upon
it. And we regret that this decision reached by the
few members Of the party in the New York meeting
will give to Directing senators reason however I'M
reasonable for denying to the women of America a
privilege belongs to them