The sun., 1918-10-02
SENATE KILLS
SUFFRAGE BILL;
VOTE SO TO 81
Presidents War Necessity
Plea and Letters to Four
Senators Ignored.
FIRST DEFEAT HE'S NET
Election Of Pro-Suffrage Sem
ators Only Hope for Women
Seeking 9 Ballot.
FIRST DEFEAT HE'S MET
Special Despornh 10 rHn sux.

WASHINGTON. Oct. 1.-The movement
for nationwide woman suffrage met It's
doom in the Senate to-day.
In the face of the personal plea OF
the President, voiced In the Senate yes
tsrday. in which he urged favorable
action as an aid to the Government in
winning the war. and despite eleventh
hour appeals OF the most personal
character addressed to four stanch Ad-
ministration Democrats by the Presi-
dents own hand. the Senate refused to
be swerved 1t voted So to 81 on the
Susan B. Anthony amendment to the
Federal Constitution. leaving It 2 votes
short Of the necessary two-thirds and
victory.
The vote stood 81 to so. but Senator
Jones IN. Ny changed from AYE" to
"No" in order that he nigh. bring the
resolution before the Senate again.
Under tho rules this can be done only
by an opponent of measure.
The feature OF fhe day. aside from
tie final vote. was the last hour appea:
Of the President to four Senators Of
fis own party 70 recede from their po.
sition and enable the. VICTORY to Be won
for suffrage. These Senators were
Overman (N. c.. who fathered the
Overnan bin. the acid test of party
loyalty: Shields (Tenn.). Trammeli
tFia.) and wolcott (Del.l
Letters Were Appeaiins.
xr.,,s-.t.x . "a 49,. usa.,. g.. .S,ar
noon It developed to-day that the Presi-
dent sat down In his study and typed
with his own hand a personal letter to
each Of these Senators. The letter was
short and direct and Of the most APP
pealing character. couched In the most
informal and personal phraseology. The
letters were despatched by messenger.
As pointed out in The SUN this morn
ing these four Senators were the most
representative Administrative men and
members OF group Of eight to whom
It was known executive pressure could
apply with greater certainty Of success
than any others.
There was no comment tonight at
tho White House on the defeat suffered
by the President or any indication as
TO whether Mr. Wilson was planning to
continue his fight In behalf Of suffrage
Only Hope II In Elections.
% Thanks to Senator Jones. the PEN
dency motion to reconsider being now
before the Senate, there Is a chance
that after the November elections and
the elimination Of two or three Of tho
opposition Senators who hold appoint-
ments to the Senate from the Governors
Of their States, there may be a shift OF
alignment IN the Senate. II Senators
Benet IS. c. and Baird IN. J) should
be succeeded by Senators willing to
vote AYE" suffrage will get one more
chance In the Sixty-fifth Congress. II
II fails 1t must be repassed by the
House in the Sixty-sixth Congress.
Convictions OF many friends and sup
porters OF the President tonight are
that there is no chance for a suffrage
victory for a long time. and that only
by some sort of compromise such as
Senator williams (Miss) or Senator
FLETCHER (Fla.) have suggested can the
support OF the Southern Senators ever
be secured for IT,
The Southerners have pothing TO lose
politically through to-day's defeat, but
It has caused concern elsewhere in the
party ranks. prediction being made by
some that IL will cost the Democratic
party both Houses OF Congress. They
fear that the Republicans will capitalize
at once the fact that they cast rs per
cent. OF their total membership In the
Senate, while the Democrats cast only
So per cent. Of the vote Of their men,
bershlp.
The defeat OF the suffrage anendmen,
marked the first refusal on the part OF
either House OF Congress to accept with.
out reservation the dictum OF the Preoi-
dent as to what sort OF legislation should
be enacted as a part Of tho war pro-
grammc.
Not until yesterday had the Chief Eek
ecutive presented the argument that the
passage OF the Joint resolution was q
war necessity. But in his address yes
terday the President took the ground
that the complete unincation OF al
elements In the national war emer'
Gency required that Congress recognise
woman suffrage as an essentiaL prin
Ciple of the sort OF democracy for which
America is lighting. He sought to swint
the necessary number Of members OF hii
swn party In tho Senate to take thli
view and failed.
Did Not Change single Vote.
The Presidents address TO the Senar'
"esterday changed not single vote. Th'
siisnment presented IN the final roll cal
vas exactly tho alignment indicated BY
cry previous poll OF the Senate b,
leaders, OF the suffrage and antl-suffrag'
factions OF the two great nationa