Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-11-30
Woman Suffrage
BY Frederic J. Haskin

effort, with n fair chance Of success, vii ! /
made 10 bring woman suffrage to vOt
again before the present Congress come
10 an end
When woman suffrage was defeated i
the Senate n few weeks ago, the generf
public believed, and the politicians bopec
that that troublesome issue had been pu
To sleep for long time But already
shows signs Of renewed activity.
The status Of the Federal Amendment b
this. II passed the House many month
ago, but after its first reading m the Sen
ate early IN the year, was flllbustcrcd by
few senators who prevented It from com
ing tn a vote, before II was pushed aside 3.
make room tor more urgent measures o
the war program. Late IN September i
came before the Senate again President
Wilson having III the meantime declared
IN favor Of IT, to the extent of writing IN
senator from his own State, soliciting hn
vote. \ vote was taken and the amend
mcnt defeated by narrow margin The
suffrngists with the exception Of the
milItants made as ii 10 abandon tht
fight for national legislation The antis
held meetings nf Ilbilatl0n and considered
| the hight waY over for some time
The recent elections have put some
| what different ahade on the issue The
temper Of the new Congress, particularly
| ot the new House IN regard tn suffrage, ~
| an unknown quantity. Now, the present
| Congress has little less than hundred
| days of life. Unless the amendment ran
be brought tn II vote and passed by the
| Senate before March I, its sponsors will
have the task of pushing n through the
House all over agaln
1 pEEArF eTFMa Pkt1pApfE
| The alignment IF sentiment on woman
| suffrage IN the Senate, at present, is con
| sidered more favorable than ever before.
Through conversions and through the
appointment or election of pro-srlfirago
| senators, 10 places made vacant by the
death Of anti-suffrage senators. the fac
ilon supporting the amendment Is said
| to have gained nlne votes IF this IS So
tut one more vote Is needed to make the
two third majority ncccSsary % pass The
amendment THIS single vote, e,ifFragc
| leaders are confident, osn be secured
| easily, If 1T has not been eecnrcd already
he chef difficulty, however, will be N
bringing the measure To vote in the
short time remaining II IS whispered IN
Washington, that on the day that Prcsl-
dent Wilson read the terms of the armis-
tiee ~ Congress, tho anti-suffrage forces
81 Congress met. and promised them
selves there would not be another vote on
woman suffrage this session
The National Wnnen's Party, the
most militant of American suffrage organ
lzatione. was the first 10 make direct
move to bring about another vote Em-
mediately after the defeat Of september
they sent the veteran pickcts Of the
White House Campaign to the Capitol
Whatever effect tins mad on the senator
II had n a uildcr way the same effect on
the people of Washington as the previous
campaigns Two or three times the pickets
were assaulted and their defiant banners
torn from their hands number Of the
Worners were arrested but the country was
too much occupied with other things 10
give 1t much attention
But there is no doubt that pIrketing
will be resumed and continued until the
amendment mas been brought uD, or until
the present Congress passes into history
Miss Alice Paul, chairman of he National
Women's Party, recently defended these
measures ~ not only useful, but neces-
sary altogether,
say riekETi.G II ESSENTIAL.
The only way To make the senate act,
contends Miss Paul, is ta make It most
uncomfortable for II not 70 act. he one
Vas - 10 this, IS 10 attract the attention
OF the country 10 the fact that self
government, victorious throughout the
rest Of the world. Is DELAYED and OBJ
structed by the United States senate. If
thousand women would protest before
the doors Of the Capitol, the battle Tor
their enfranchlsernent would be won.
Il must DC remembered that the mem
bers al the National Women'= Party
more than half believe that President Vii
son : sudden reversal from beng opposed
to the amendment, to beng fer Il, vas due
u their prolonged plcketIng n front of the /
y hlte House, and the stormy scenes /
which occ1rrtd there This has added /,
another element to the sehism, between /
the party and the National Woman F
Suffrage Association 'fne President was /
good enough 10 announce his endorse +
ment OF the amendment, through letter
10 Mrs Carrie Chapman Gait, and slnce
that time. the latter organization has
'hosen 70 regard him As more or less the
eader of the suffrage movement IN TINS
Next t. forcing a vote in the senate.
he Job of putting over the amendment
before March l. hes ln securing The single
fote necessary To ciinch matters. j fund
II S50, Up0 has been raised for this purpose
md It viii be eAIended IN making appca Is
o State legs latureS To force their sena-
ors otake action. and in aroUSing public
entlment IN behalf Of the amendment.
Senator Borah Of Idaho is regarded BY
he suffragists as the most promising pos
iblhtv Mr. Borah voted against the
but since that time ne has
,een reelected on a decidedly favorable
PLATFORM Idaho IS a suffrage state and
he Non Partisan League. 70 which
senator Borah is SAID 70 owe his re-elec-
ION. is in favor of extending the franchise
. ali women OF the country. Fl
LOON FOR SUPPORT N SOUTH
The stffragists have hopes, also, OF
Gay OF Louisiana. who succeeds
he late Senator Ransdell. Mir Cav
trongly supported woman suffrage IN an
lection III ms own State. and the fact
hat it was defeated there, coupled with
he President 5 endorsement may induce
i'm to align himself with the friends Of the
amendment
That unconquerablc optimism which
as enabled the ~lifraglsts 70 carry un the
ght 50 many years, now lmpels them to
ope that Senator Moses of New Hamp-
lnre viii also support the amendment.
daugh the suffrage organization Of the
tate worked hard to prevent his elec-
ION Mr. Moses for his own part. stead
istly refuses to commit himself to either
de
McanW hiie tie antis arc not idle
hey have QSf3 hlShpJ i .,lt1Y,.4rt4 ft1oj