Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-09-30
PLEA FOR SUFFRAGE
HAS WORLD PHASE
President Puts Into Effect
Words of His Historic
New York Speech.
SEEN AS WAR MEASURE
Ry DAVID LAWRENCE.

BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
President Wilson today put into
practical effect the words of his his
toric speech in New York for world
democracy. He went before the SEN
ate OF the United States and appealed
to members Of both parties to adopt
1.-THE federal amendment proposing to
enfranchise the women Of America.
Not since. January. 1917, has he adj
dressed single house Of Congress.
but since the amendment already has
passed by two-thirds vote the House
of Representatives. and the fight had
reached critical stage in the Senate,
Mr.. Wilson again cast aside all prece-
dents and spoke for a measure that
he sincerely believes viii give Amer
lea an electorate more liberal and
more democratic than it has hitherto
been.
Relation to World Politics.
Reactionary and backward looking
senators have opposed the granting
of suffrage. while progressive repub-
| themselves in favor Of 1t. Today's
| contest is g. vital struggle between the
progressives and reactionaries In both
parties. But the President put the
| emphasis today not merely on the dis
| tinction of factions within the party,
but on the distinguishing character
istics of world politics today-auto-
cratic as against democratic, ultra
conservative as against liberal ten
, denotes.
Some members of the Senate had
said they would vote for the amend
ment if they were convinced that it
was war measure. For forty years
(; the women of America have strug-
gled for the vote. and the professional
politicians have by one subterfuge
| or another kept it from them. Early
last we-k victory seemed assured.
four votes, had seemingly been
pledged. The republicans had prom
ised thirty-three and the democrats
had mustered thirty-one. The
southern democrats had stood out
against their northern colleagues.
party's strength. But thirty-one and
thirty-three were enough and the
women thought the vote could be
safely taken.
But at the last moment, the repub-
lican leaders announced that Senator
Drew of New Hampshire, was doubt
1ul and finally against the amendment.
The democrats were quick to charge
trickery on the ground that the re-
publicans knew they didn't have
Senator Drew. but nevertheless want
ed to force vote, SO that in the COM
ing congressional elections it would
appear that suffrage was beaten by
the failure of the democratic party to
rise to the occasion.
Mr.. Benet Left Loophole.
Whatever truth there was in the
charge of insincerity. it didn't last
long as an issue, for suddenly Senator
Benet of South Carolina, whom the
democrats had counted as pledged
abruptly announced that he would not
vote for the amendment He left a
loophole for himself when he said he
had not been convinced that it was
a war measure.
Senator Shields of Tennessee had
some doubts as to whether it was a
war measure. So had Senator VOL
colt of Delaware, it is said, and one Of
the Florida senator's.
Lacking only one or two votes,
therefore, and both those votes being
possible of attainment il the issue
could be defined as a war measure
PRESIDENT Wilson, on his return from
New York, thrust himself vigorously
into the situation. He summoned
Senators Pittman of Nevada and sha-
froth OF Colorado on Sunday after
noon. He received an eloquent appeal
also from the National American
woman Suffrage Association. He can
vassed the situation thoroughly, and,
notwithstanding that he had privately
urged many democratic senators to
vote for it, and Notwithstanding that
he had used every argument in oral
conversation that he knew. he finally
lie opinion by a full statement of the
case to the Senate ITSELF
The President wrote the message
Sunday afternoon. Its significance is
far-reaching in American politics. The
President managed to beat Senator'S
Hardwick and Vardaman for renoms
ination because they did not support
his war measures. He used his in
fuence successfully against Cole
Blease. an anti-war democrat in South
Carolina BY defining the issue so
clearly in his message today the Pres
ident will be unable to support demo-
Gratis hereafter who come to him for
assistance in their campaigns for re-
nomination or reelection unless they
stand with him on the suffrage ones.
ton. He will not be able to saw that
they supported his war measures II
they ignore his stirring appeal Of to-
day.
Describes Service of Women.
The President not only urges that
the suffrage amendment should be
passed as war measure, coupled with
Americas liberal aims in the war
but he describes the war service OF
women in fervid and enthusiastic
terms. With the Presidents strong
statement. the victory ought to be as
sured. The forces of reaction in
America cannot long halt its success.
Furthermore, If the Senate follows
the example of the House and adopts
the amendment by a two-thirds vote.
it will have all the strength and sun
port of President Wilson in the night
to get three-fourths of the states of
the Union to ratify the action of Con-
gress. But there never has been anv
doubt about those thirty-six states
President Wilson's words of TO-DAY.
therefore. can be regarded as gaininp
for the women of America what thew
have vainly tried to obtain since 1875
when the first amendment was intro.
duced in Congress.
Reveals 81 gn Of Times.