New-York tribune., 1918-01-11
By Emma Bugbee

way VI 'i'Sii IoA W ycdi ScA uSSic was eHe
most dramatic the suffragists ever OK
pcrienccd. From serene confidence Of
the morning, based on the fact that
President Wilson had come to their
support, they descended in the long
nervous hours Of the late afternoon to
certainty that they had lost. Then, in
few seconds, they were swept into
victory.
Perplexcd, biting their lips to main
tain their calm and trying vainly to
see hope through the muddle of figures
they heard the calm, authoritative voice
of the Speaker:
"Two-thirds of the members having
voted in the ailirmat;ve"-
1f Champ Clark ever finished that
sentence, the American people will have
to read it in "The Congressional rec
ord,' for no one heard what he said.
Republicans lied Applause
1t was the Republicans, not the wom-
en-, who led the applause. They could
not realize just yet. Dr. Anna Howard
Shaw sat with her head bowed
and her fingers twitching thread in
her lap. Mrs. Carrie Chapman Gait was
beside her, her face hidden bv a pad
of paper. The women of the galleries
rose to the occasion first. They shouted
and waved their handkerchiefs. Con.
gressmen were shouting up TO them and
laughing triumphantly.
Mrs. James Lees Laidlaw was the first
on her feet. From her seat in the front
gallery, on the Republican side. she
waved her tally sheets of white paper
Across the room DR.. Shaw answered d
her. Then 1T was on-the rejoicing that
was Just beginning to be articulate Two
months from now we may expect to
hear the suffragists express themselves
eloQuently on the subject Tonight it
was lncoherent. They talked Of trfles,
as people always do in the stress of
great emotion
none Oh the women who was in the
gailerles to-day was present when the
llrst suffrage resolution was introduced d
IN the House forty years ago. DR..
Shaw and Mrs. Gait, however. have
been working for many weary wears.
Year after year they brought their
petitions to Congress, as Susan B. An
thony advised on her dcathbcd.
me younger women have tramped
over frozen mud and talked to frozen
minds; they have traverscd the country
back and forth time and time again.
bearing suffrage petitions from women
or Far Western states. They came
with arguments addressing themselves
TO the minds of members Of Conpress:
they. came with their grief over ths
death of Inez Mlholand Boissevain,
and they came in the hour of the great
est rejoicing over the New York State
victory, crying to the Congress that
the wlman's hour had struck" All this
was done with now. They clappcd a
while, then put on their coats.
Time to Take Tea
"What are you going to do now ?"
was asked Miss Mary Garrett HAY.
"Do?" She said. "Oh, yes. Why, I
guess we'll go and have some tea And
then, | guess-wcll, we'll go up to the
house and talk"
There were delays. though. "Tom,
Smith, Representative from New York
City, leader of the Tammany Hall dele
gation, came first to congratulate Miss
Hay. He had not been near her all
day, but scarcely was the crush about
the doors cleared than he was there at
ncr side. in minute Representative
francis was there, getting thanks for
the New York Republicans.
Mrs. Laidlaw was bending over the
railing, calling her congratulations to
Representative Platt, the surprise and
greatest single delight of the day.
nanked among the hopelessly opposed
ranked as the only New York Repre-
J 10, 4
the amendment-he came around hand
somely and voted for it.
scrubbed across Mrs. Laidlaw's tally
sheet were three names Gould. San
ders and Riordan.
II am glad it is Platt who stavs in
Congress instead of Could" she said
I'VE should hate to 60 against platt.
He is really a fine man and had con-
sclentlous scruples against suffrage.
1t was hard work and real arguments
that convinced him. Gould d-well. he's
worthy of our mettle. He comes from
Seneca Falls, and Sanders comes from
Senator Wadsworth's district"
Representative Riordan is the ONLY
man from New York who voted against
the amendment
"Oh. we'll just forget about Riortlan.
guess" said Miss Mary Garrett Hav.
"Big Boss Of the Woman Suffrage
party. Maybe folks won't think OF
him at all when nominations are made"
Gives Credit to Republicans
Representative Rankin said:
ut is great victory. After sew
enty years of patient, intensive strug-
gle the significance of to-days action
is incomprehensible. January 10 will
go down in history as the day upon
which the representatives Of the peo-
pie Of the United States registered the
peoples confidence IN democracy.
III think l may justly claim for the
Republican party chief credit in the
victory to-day. 1t has been to Repub-
lican legislators and Republican lead.
ership that women. apart from their
own undaunted efforts. chiefly owe
their cnfranchisemcn in the suffrage
Dtates.
Mr.. Hughes more than year apo
and Mr.. Roosevelt even before declared
for the Federal amendment. To-dav
there were independent, 1906 Demo
cratic and 1872 Republican votes for the
amendment. We look to the Renub-
llcan Senator'S to go on with the work work
We arc grateful to Mr.. Mann. i'll as he