Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-03-02

much for the Federal Amendment,
because through the press millions
and millions of people were reached
on that ono day and made TO think of
national woman suffrage.
On the l4th day of May Mr.. J. A. II.
Hopkins arranged an interview with
the President for committee consist
ing OF five people, four men, each
representing political party, and the
representative of the Womans Party
We each had a different theme to
present TO the President in argument
for the federal amendment told
him that did mo-, believe he knew how
we'll his own words, his own writings
interpret the spirit of the women work
ing for suffrage. ! continued:
Mr. President, the words YOU
spoke In Congress on the night of the
I'd of April. when In the concluding
part of your war address you said,
We shall fight for the things we have
always carried nearest our hearts, for
democracy, for the right Of those who
submit to authority to have voice
IN their own government, exactly
express the reason that We women
never cease 10 work for woman suffrage.
That Is the thing We carry nearest
Our hearts, the democracy for which
we fight Don't you see that those
words of yours exactly interpret the
spirit of our hearts," The tears carne
INTO the Presidents eyes. lie was
moved, obviously affected, for he
loved these words of his.
After each one Of the men had pre-
sented his particular reason for regard
ing tins as n war measure, the Prcsl-
dent said: = am free to tell YOU that
this Is matter which is daily pressing
upon my mind for reconsideration.
DO you wonder that | smiled? How
could help it? Had we not been
standing at his gates every day for
four whole months? From the 10th
of January to the 14th of May, those
banners had been the chief sight
which met the Presidents eyes every
time be went out and every time he
came IN. Do you wonder that he
said the matter daily pressed upon his
mind for reconsideration?
If there were 40 other thing that
we could point to and say: This Is
result the picket line has accomplish
ed, those words of the President
would be a remarkably significant
thing Was it not worth standing
there through the cold weather and
on the hot days which began to come
carly IN the summer? Was II not
worth even going to prison for, TO
have national woman suffrage daily
IN the mind of the President"
We know very we'll, however, that
that was not the only thing which that
picket line accomplished. Truly, | do
not know how We could have kept
alive the woman suffrage question in
the war session OF Congress if it had
not been for the banners that we held,
not only at the White House, but also
on Capitol Till
The Congressman who talked TO us
about not enfranchlsing women be-
cause this nation was SO concerned
with the affairs Of the war met the
banners standing there: England and
Russia are enfranchising their women
in wartime; how long must American
women wait for liberty And so all
during the war session, woman suf-
frage was kept alive because the ban
ners were the visible evidence of the
demand Of women IN all parts of the
country that tins question of democracy
at home should be settled at a time
when we fight for democracy abroad.
On the Goth OF June, a banner was
carried out to receive the Russian
ENJOYS as they drove through the
gate, and passcrby tore it down be
cause he did not like the truth told
upon it. Nothing more happened that
day. The banners stood there Just
the same, purple, white and gold,
brought out in place Of the torn one
On the night of the 2lst of June
Major Pullman came to our head