The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-01-10
Advises Members of House to
Vote for Amendment as Act
of Justice to Womanhood
BILLY SUNDAY TO
ENLIST Ii F.GH i
Predicted That Opposition in
House Will Be Negligible
and No Serious Difficulty
Expected in Senate

Wilson came out tonight in favor or
the federal national wide women suf-
frage amendment. A vote on the bill
will be taken in the house Al 5 O'Clock
tomorrow afternoon, The president
announced his support OF the amend
ment 10 delegation OF representa-
tives. headed by Representative Tay-
Tor. of Colorado, The committee is-
sued the following statement on leav-
Ing the White House:
THE committee found that the
president had not felt at liberty 20
volunteer his service 10 members OF
congress In this important matter,
that when we sought his advice, he
very frankly and earnestly adytscd us
to vote the amendment as an act OF
right ard Justice to the women OF
the country and OF the world.
Passage of the suffrage amend
ment Ia now regarded as a certain
iy Il is predicted that opposition In
the house tomorrow when the vote
comes. will be negligible. A pool
taken today before the delegation
went TO the white House showed 27e
for the ameudmsnt and 100 opposed.
Most OF the opposition at that time
was registered from the South where
apprehension lis felt over the prospect
OF negro women at the polls. THIS
opposition. however, had already be-
gun to weaken. The presidents
pronouncement Is expected TO COM
plete the work
Little Difriculty I'm South
In the same way 1t Ii anticipated
that the situation in the senate.
hitherto regarded as extremely doubt
full will be materially changed by to-
nights development II was geHer-
A. pn =
Gus d'fflcuity In getting the measure
through the upper branch
Altogether twelve representatives
were in the delegation that called on
the president. They were:
Representatives John E. Raker. OF
California. chairman OF the house sur
frage committee; j. 6, Cantrill ana
ALBION w Barley. OF Kentucky: Ed
ward r Taylor, OF Colorado; Alexai-
der w. Gregg and Marvin Jones, OF
Texas: J. c. Iinthicum. of MARYLAND,
Thaddeus r. Caraway, OF Arkansas;
James =. Mayes, OF Utah: William
A. Ayre@, of Kansas: Carl Hayden, OF
Arizona and Clement Brumbaugh. OF
Ohio All are Democrats excepting
Nayes who is Progressive Demo
erat
The house Republican caucus late
tonight adopted resolution TO sup
port the suffrage amendment in the
vote tomorrow.
n. Party Obligations
The president told the delegation
that In his opinicu there were no
partv ohlts atoms. resting on tho DEM
ocrats. to oppose nation wide suffrage
tnssmuch as the exigencies of the war
would have made of the suffrage
matter of extremely Importance.
which did not appear when the plat
form was drawn.
Reversing hts previous attitude that
woman suffrage was matter for the
states to determine, The resident
drew q distinction between prohlbt-
ton TO which tire constitution makes
no reference and the elective franchise
concerning which congress. by consti-
tutional authority has the right to
fegislate.
furthermore. members of the dele
cation said. he assured them that the
supreme court repeatedly has taken
the position that congress has the right
TO legtslase en- matters OF federal suf-
frage.
Personally he is quoted by members
Of the delegation as having said he
fssls that the women of the co intry.
by their unseifash devotion TO tho coun-
try's needs In the period of emergency
had won title TO favorable considera-
tfon. He called attention to the rom
Ire OF Great Britain to grant English
women the franchise and referred to
the reform rs one attracting the at
tsntion of all forward ioofsng nations
when word reached the Capitol of
the presidents action, the question
whether the amendment would succeed
Immediately gave way to speculation
aa TO how many would hold OUT AGAINST
IL. Many who carvassed the outlook
predicted not more than a score would
hold out.
Quertfou Has Partisan TTnE~.
The question was rapidly taking on
a rartiss, tirpe with nve-sixths Of
the Repubiicans lined up in its sun
port the suffragists pressed home the
claim that II the amendment were de-
feated the Democrats must bear the
political responsibility. BY so close a
margin does the Democratic party hold
control of congress that this plea met
with unusual success.
A rule will be adopted tomorrow
providing day of debate Ike that
which preceded prohibition. The vote
will be taken between and o'clock
Billy Sunday is scheduled TO open
the horse session with prayer tomor :
row. He had told close friends he in
tended to say word or so for the
amendment--and that. despite the fact
that matters before the house for con-
sideration are never thus mentioned
Now II seems likely that Billy can go
ahead without ofrsetting a great num-
Der Of opponents.
The demand for tickets to the gall
4 ieries has exceeded even the DAYS when
the president has been scheduled to
speak. Women from every part of tho
country are demanding OF their repre-
nentAxivss that they be given chance
\ 70 seA the last chapter o. ~ hFht In
which many Of them have betn en-
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