New-York tribune., 1918-06-23
A Helping Hand

From The Asheyille Citizen
to the recalcitrant Democratic Senators
from the South, who have remained the
only menace to the measures success.
'In plain fact" says "The New York
Evening POST
"this utterance is the most direct and
open attempt yet made by Mr. Will
son to secure a two-thirds vote in the
Senate for the suffrage amendment. Notori-
ously, the Senators he seeks to influence
are those from the Southern States Most
Northern Democrats are ready to give
women the vote. The Republicans in the
Senate are largely for the amendment, and
have been pressing for action on it. This
may be partly because they think they see
chance to steal a march on the divided
Democrats, but, if SO, it only reinforces the
argument from party advantage which the
President sees, if some Democratic Senators
do not. The Senate has been closely can
vassed on the subject The report is that
three or four votes are at present lacking Of
the necessary two-thirds. If President Will
son can find and produce them among the
striking evidence of his heightened prestige,
now amounting almost to dominance"
Newspapers right and left are now ad-
mitting that at last the votes the thing.
and that the chances are all in favor of
the amendments prompt passage. "The
Milwaukee Sentinel" believes that with
the strong and not altogether expected
Endorsement of President Wilson, and
the sane impelling and appealing argu-
ment of woman's war work and sacri
fees, the national woman's suffrage
amendment is now likely to pass the
Senate. 1t is difficult in these times to
refuse the women of America anything
which they appear collectively to ask
and greatly desire as right and rec
ognition."
'The Baltimore American" soIemnly
debates the whole philosophic basis of
the suffrage demand, and concludes by
saying:
Inc memorial presented from the
French women succinct!y sets forth the in
herent justice of the demand for tho hal
lot in the words: Nothing can be claimed to
speak authoritatively in the name of the
people which excludes women from the life
OF the nation. The women of the Allied
countries have made this subject one of in
ternatlonal Importance, and the United
States will lead the way. Whether the mat
ter ought or ought not to be approached
through Federal amendment is immaterial
as compared with the Importance for the
movement to receive the sanction of the
United States as nation and not az a
congress of States. The days of states
rights have passed forever, the United States
handles all its great questions in a national
spirit. Should the Senate resolution find
the needed support from Congress and the
amendment be submitted to the states, they
would in the most expeditions manner an
prove the amendment, and it would not be
drag upon the. country as something i'm
pending and never disposed of-this being
the great drawback to the Federal
amendment process in dealing with social
subject. Whatever may have been the
status prior to the war, the doors of politi-
cal privilege must now be" opened by the
nation for the passage of women to the
polls here and in the other Allied coun-
tries"
One lone voice of protest seems left in
the land. 1t issues from "The Woman
Patriot" organ of the anti-suffraec
forces. Not only does it oppose the
suffrage amendment, but predicts that
with brave and vigorous campaign on
the part of the anti-suffragists. the ulti
mate segregation and repeal of woman suf-
frage is an assured fact. Even the men
in politics who surrender themselves to the
suffragists, and say whatever the women
bosses tell them, secretly welcome and ap-
prove anti-suffrage activity, and devoutly
hope for the day when they will be rid OF
the professional woman politician and the
question Of votes for women"
The majority opinion, however, NAV
be summed up in the words of "The
Wheeling Intelligcncer," which saws.
"The woman's suffrage amendment need.
FIVE votes for passage by the Senate. The
Republicans have furnished their ouota
1t is up to the Democrats to 60 over the
tspf