Evening journal., 1918-06-20
State women ASK
FOR THE BALLOT
Discuss Question With VOL
colt But Senator Wouldn't
Promise "Yes"
GIVES HIS VIEWS
ON WAR AIMS

United states Senator Josiah o. VOL
colt gave a hearing on the suffrage I
question to an assembly Of women at
the home OF Mrs. j. Frank Ball, acting .
president OF the Delaware Equal SUI /
frage Association, at noon today. About I
sixty women were present. representing
wOmen's organizations Of this city,
New Castle and Newark senator Sauls- /
bury had also been invited 10 attend
the meeting, but sent word that he
would not be able to come.
Mrs. W. X dupont asked the junior
senator what IMPRESSIONS had been
made upon him by meetings such as
that OF this morning.
Meaning. am ] going TO vote for the
federal suffrage amendment next
week." rejoined the senator amid
general laughter.
Mrs. dupont explained that she meant
whether his ideas as 10 suffrage had
undergone any notifications. There
upon senator Wolcolt stated his views,
saying:
n think I view the suffrage question
at a different angle from any woman
/ present. I do not view 10 as matter
| OF abstract right or justice. i don't
| think that anybody, man or woman
/ has inherent right TO vote. think
that~it IS a matter Of state eNpedlency
and / don't mean party politics By mat
a matter Of what viii give the state
the best government. ] think II Is very
material TO know, when any group OF
people asks FOR franchise, just now in
lerosted that group is. II would De
utterly foolish TO grant the vote to 4O,-
900 people when only han Of them, ana
those including the worst element, VIII
vote. The question Is, how extensive Is
the demand on the part OF women ior
the vote"
Mrs. dupont said she thought the
worst element had not done so badly
with the vote up-tO-date and even Win
me female worst element 10 help, she
did not think the government IN dan
ger. 49,
Mrs. Harry Haywood In reply TO he
senator's quoted objections mat the
luneducaied c0lored women would De
Ian mn influence II franchised, said that
politlcians had told her the c0loreQ
women could not be swung solidhy as
the colored male vote had been. 2
4 great many Of the cOlOred womei
! worked in the Kitchens OF educate'
4 white women, and would be influences
e by them.
: senator WolcOit corrected a state
4 ment that he hel said the women o
e Delaware. as a majority were oppose
: 10 the vote by saying he had said tn
q women OF this state were indineren
Il as a majority. as 70 whether they Wer
o given the vote.
d Mrs. Ball. who presided. told IN
n senator that a hastily and only par
e TALLY circulated petition, asking Una
5 the Delaware senator's vote for th
Federal suffrage amendment, had rt
oeived 3.722 signatures, ZOOS OF womeI
and f.O54 Of men. exclusive OF iOOu
persons represented by the Centri
Labor Union endorsement Of the cor
stitutional amendment FOR woman su
q frage A number OF women testille
that few persons approached had RI
F. fused 90 sign the petition, but thi
"A shortness of time had prevented il
I wide circulation Every adult resider
n Of Camden signed except two men VIII
: had not bought Liberty bonds. Lau-'
. and Harrington had few refnsals.
/ Mrs. NJ. p. Phillips. Of New Castle
d spoke OF the great amount OF propert
owned by women in that town. VIII
p were taxed without representation
/ She said she had voted once. at q tow
: election the only woman IN New Ias
y he. who ever had done so. Senate
Wolcott tried 10 hold this up as an eX
ample of the Indifference OF women O
.he vote. but Mrs. Phillips replied ina
she had no legal right to vote upol
that occasion, but the men did no
know enough TO know her voting wa
I. illegal
Mrs. Martha ]. Cranston, for man
e years president Of the state suffragisl'
+ said that she felt it was an iniustic
B. not to be given the vote.
IS Miss Emily Wosrell said that SD
,e was GLAD Of the senator's youth, an
.e she hoped Il would mean many Ion
/ wears for him 90 do good and stand o
Inc right side. She said the statemer
" that many women would not vote wa
l. now true of mony men. This brougi
E. an emphatic exclamation from senate
le Wolcott that such men ought 10 ,
* deprived Of the vote.
Id Rabbi David Swircn spoke brien
4 saving that men could not represei
)f women we'll.
Id Mrs. George W. Dorsey spoke againi
vicarious voting.
To the point that American wome
ought 10 be given the franchise no
70 because so many American men an
m 0chting and leaving the voting TO 10
v. eign-born not fully Americanizcd ma
l. workers not in the war, the eenai,
In brought the objection that 1t general
Ne took five or six years for the necessai
le number OF states 20 ratify a cohsllt,
D. tlonsl amendment and the war wouI
&. be over by then. ,.,,.,
"Taxaiion without representation
IN another point Of the women was NJ
10 directly answered by the senator. Mr.
: charles Warner referred to Mrs. Carr
ne Chapman Cats statement that AInerl'
ne was not sincere i'm lighting for demo'
racv if she denied the franchise TO
% large group Of her population.
,a senator Wolcou said That 1t was NJ
,d his understandings that America We
0ghting TO democratize the worl
is For instance he would not give sing