Evening journal., 1918-08-01
SUFFRAGISTS SEEK
Votes OF SENATORS
Miss Mabel c. Willard in
Charge of Campaign to
Get Signers
SAY STATES WOMEN
DESIRE THE BALLOT

Washington, OF the National American
Woman Suffrage Association, ls now Il
Wilmington organizing a campaign TO-
equal suffrage Now that the sena
torisl vote upon the Federal suffrage
amendment has seen postponed The
Delaware sufrragsts have taken ad.
vantage OF the extended time to make q
house TO house canvass through the
State, 10 secure slgners 10 the petition
to be sent to Senator Salisbury aud
Senator Wolcott. The petition asks the
Delaware senator's TO vote for the con-
siitutional suffrage amendment.
The canvass will be thorough, 10 Sc
rure a number OF names that Will prove
to the Delaware senators that the ma
Iority OF Delaware women want the
vote, fact Of which the senators from
this State have said they were not con
vinced
In a talk with a reporter OF THE
EVENING JOURNAL. Miss Willard said
that American women are asking the
vote at this time because II Will enable
them 10 work more effectively for WIN
ming the war. She asked III men find
The ballot help In securing the ends
for which they are working, why
shouldn't women? It is not thai women
want their rights so much as they want
svery assistance by which 20 make their
work more effective. Women are be
ginning to realize that the work OF
months, for some measure affecting the
morals and the health Of their children
may all be undone on election day b.
the vote Of a corrupt politician. Women
are asking Why may not the mothers
have the vote as well as the corrupt
politicians p g."
Miss Willard answered the charge
hat woman suffraglsts are not doing
var work by saying:
we are doing war work Of all |
kinds. The National American Woman |
Suffrage Association, IN a big mass |
meeting In Washington before war
was declared. offered its services 10 the /
government in the event Of war, which
affer was accepted by the Secretary Of
War.
DIR. Anna Howard Shaw, the hon
orery president OF the association.
was almost Immediately appointed by
the government as chairman OF the
womans committee Of the National |
Council Of Defense. OF which commit
tee Mrs. Carrie Chapman Gait. presl-
dent Of the association, is also a prom
nent member. The association as |
body and as individuals has been do /
ing splendid work from the very be- |
ginning Of the war. II Is supporting |
lhe woman's oversee hospitals In |
France, the equipment OF which was |
financed by the Red Cross, the main /
;enance being entirely raised by the /
National American Woman's Suffrage |
Association. l know OF no .suffraglst
who is not doing her full share OF war
work in addition to her specific war
work Of securing democracy for
America"
Miss Willard said that suffrage
work has been continued by English
women all during the war, contrary TO Z
The idea current in this country that |
& was stopped Militant suffrage /
were all that were stopped 5
lt the entrance Of England into the I
Mar. She declared: n
"Let no one think that suffrage was 4
handed on a silver platter to the Eng h
ish women. The National Union for !
Woman Suffrage Mrs. Fawcett's or =
kept the suffrage measure =
lNlOIt 1UIlldllltnN ulA VI liit AlilAt Nilu
st the same time did war work The a
nan who fails TO realize that a woman y
,ould do her relief better with the aid =
3f the ballot has a very limited idea OF =
what constitutes war work He proba- .
ply thinks that scraping lint and knit
ing stockings are the only kinds Of a
war work. They are needed-but there I,
are other kinds Of war work which are u
even more essential TO the prosecution o
OF the war, and which will not be q
done as well as they might be, until p
women, as well as men, have a voice in S
doing them. Meanwhile, our boys and a
men are suffering because womens
hands are partly tied" n
In conclusion, the congressional COM @
mittee woman stated: o
Woman suffrage is considered by a
some OF our most thoughtful men and l.
as distinctly a war measure.
Of what is the Kaiser more afraid than v
anything else2-Democracy What e
would help him most in winning the n
war2 The conviction among his peo- W
pie that Americas professions Of dem Ct
1cracy are false. The Kaiser knows
hat Australia and New Zealand gave
suffrage to their women years ago, he
nows Great Britain and the greater
,art Of Canada granted It to their
women during the war. Now II the u.
!. Senate denies it TO the women of ve
America, what Of Americas profess ~
ions Of democracy? ~ ~
II this is no time for women to work y,
or suffrage, why is It time for the eu
President to urge it2 In June he sent IL
message to the suffrage associations
4 Great Britain. France. Belgium. Italy
nd Portugal In closing his message,
he President said:
1.-The service Of women during this
upreme crisis OF the worlds history
las been of the most signal usefulness AN
md distinction. The war could not
lave been fought without them or its
acrifces endured. IL is high time that
ome part Of our debt Of gratitude to
hem should be acknowledged and paid,
md the only acknowledgment they ask
S their admiitance to the suffrage. Can
We Justly refuse it? Ask all America.
I is my earnest hope that the Senate
4 the United States win give an un- Bu
fstakable answer TO this question by
aAeing the Suffrage Amendment to our
ed\ral Constitution before the end Of
his tsession.