The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1918-09-30
WILSON TAKES UP
SUFFRAGE CAUSE
President Makes Personal Ap.
peal for Passage of Amend
ment as War Measure.
STEPS INTO BREACH
Peoples Of Europe Look to
wetsern Democracy to Bring
New Day" to World.

Washington. Sept. s0.-Presiden'
Wilson stepped into the breach Of the
senate nght over the woman suffrage
resolution today. and In a personal ad-
dress in the senate chamber asked for
It's passage as a war measure.
The president said:
Gentlemen OF the Senate-The un-
usual circumstances of world war In
which we stand and are judge In the
view not only Of our own people and
our own consciences but also In the
view of all nations and peoples will.
I hope. justify In your thought, as 1t
does In mine, the message l have come
to bring you. regard the concurrence
OF the senate in the constitutional
amendment proposing the extension OF
the suffrage to women as vitality es-
sential to the successful prosecution Of
the great war of humanity in which
we are engaged. have come to urge
upon you the considerations which
havo led me to that conclusion. 1t is
not only my privilege; 1t is also my
duty to apprise you of every circum-
stance and element involved in this
momentous struggle which seems to
me to affect its very processes ana its
outcome. It Is my duty to win the
war and TO ask you to remove every
obstacle that stands in the way of WIN
ming it.
I No DisputsbIs Principle.
II had assumed that the senate
would. concur in the amendment be-
cause no disputable principle is in
volyed. but only. question OF the
method by which the suffrage is to be
extended to women. There is and can
be NO party issue involved in 1t. Both
OF your great national parties are
pledged. explicitly pledged. to equality
Of suffrage for the women Of the coun--
try. Neither party. therefore. 1t seems
70 me. can Justify hesitation as to the
method spf obtaining It, can srishtfullt
keelt t&fS to substitute federal initiative
for state Initiative. IL the early adop-
tion of this measure is necessary to the
successful prosecution Of the war. and
IL the method OF state action proposed
in the party platforms of 1916 Is, inn
practicable within any reasonable
length of time, If practical at oil. And
its adoption is. in my judgment, clearly
necessary to the successful prosecu-
tion Of the war and the successful
Of the objects for which
the war is being fought.
"That judgment l take the liberty
of urging upon you with solemn earn
estness for reasons which l shall state
very frankly and which shall hope will
seem as conclusive to you az they
seem to me.
"This is a peoples war and the peo-
pies thinking constitute its atmosphere
and morale, not the predictions of the
or the political considera-
tions of the caucus. If we be indeed
and wish to lead the world
TO democracy, we can ask other peoples
TO accept in proof of our sincerity and |
our ability to lead them whittier they |
wish to be led nothing less persuasive |
and convincing than our actions. Our |
professions will not suffice. Verifica- |
ton must be forthcoming when verifi- |
cation is asked for. And, in this case,
Is asked for In this par
ocular matter. You ask by whom?
From Work. Day Folk.
mot through diplomatic channels.
1ot by foreign ministers. Not by the
ntimations of parliaments. 1t is asked
or by the anxious, expectant, suffer-
ng peoples with whom we are deal
ng and who are willing to put their
iestinies in some measure in our
lands, If they are sure that we wish
he same things that they do. do
rot speak by conjecture. 1t is not
llone the voices of statesmen and OF
newspapers that reach me and the
'oices of foolish and intemperate
lgitators do not reach me ~ all.
Through many, manv channels I have
'een made aware what the plain,
truggling, work day folk are think
ng upon whom the chief terror and
of this tragic war falls They
re looking to the great, powerful,
amolis democracy of the west to lead
hem to the new day for which they
ave so long waited: and they think,
n their logical simplicity. that demo-
racy means that women shall play
ncir part IN altalrS alOnSSlue men anu
pom an equal footing with them. II
ye reject measures like this, in
ynorant defiance of what a new age (
as brought forth, OF what they have ]
cen, but we have not, they will cease '
D believe in us; they will cease to
ollow or to trust u.s.
"'They have seen their own govern {
tents accept this Interpretation of !
old governments like !
nat Of Great Britain, which did not
rofess to be democratic, promise :
eadily and as, of course, this Justice !.
, women, though they had before re-
ised 1t, the strange revelations of this
ar having made many things new =
nd plain to governments as well as r
, peoples. r
Will U. S. Lag Behind? c
"Are we alone to refuse to learn the I
sson? Are we alone to ask and take S
,e utmost that our women can give '
service an dsacrifice of every kind.
nd still say we do not see what title c
lat gives them to stand by our sidest I
the guidance of the affairs of their 9
atoms and ours? We have made \
artners of the women in this war; !,
iall we admit them only to a part !,
srship Of suffering and sacrifice and !.
III and not to n partnership of privi-
sc and right? This war could mot =
i've been fought. either by the other 4
ations engager or by America, If 1t