The Washington herald., 1918-06-27
A Senatorial Wartime Duty.

Today the United States Senate will have
opportunity to tell the public whether the issue
of woman suffrage it is lining up with the parlia-
mentary bodies of Germany and Hungary, or is in
accord with the attitude of the parliamentary bodies
of all our allies.
Today the Senate is scheduled to vote the
Susan B. Anthony national amendment.
In the name of everything that is fair and
democratic, the Senate should vote, and vote in
favor Of the amendment
VIII they again postpone their decision? There
was a semblance OF a flibuster yesterday after
noon Senators, the mothers of America
watching you today. The mothers of the 100000
men who have shouldered to defend our flag
Another delay of your vote is dangerous. The
suffrage amendment is vital Issue. 1t is a war
we'll peace essential
A bill to extend suffrage to the women Of
France has been introduced in the chamber by
Louis Martin, senator for
The proposal is to entitle women to vote both
in the parliamentary and municipal elections.
In the preamble of his bill, NJ. Martin touches
a note which should be universally appreciated
when he argues that the widows and mothers OF
those who have fallen in the war, have won, by
the heroic way in which they have borne their
trials, the right TO express their opinion at the
ballot box.
Woman suffrage has, by force of the conditions
and progress OF the world war, become world
question and
The good faith of America in the eyes OF the
allies that we are fighting to make the world safe
for democracy is now in the hands OF the United
States Senate.
Other countries do not understand our States
rights" ideas, they comprehend the state
riCnt that the women OF America are citizens and
voters Oawmakcrs) in California and Colorado
rlilc they subjects OF the male voting power in
Massachusetts, and Ohio.
O co-or'ira.c the resources OF America to win
the and ior reconstruction after the the
ro,r.n-poy,gr, equipped the best possible, enthuscd
by its powers and responsibilities, must be
utilized and absorbed into the body polite as active
units and ciphers in their government.
America is in the limelight of the world
Shc is looked to for real leadership now and after
the war in the principles and demonstration, as
we'll as in the defense OF, real and fundamen tai
democracy. Public opinion all over America has
made rapid strides along this line since the war
began, and since we have been called upon as
nation to come to close quarters with the anti
democratic principles of Prussia and the central
powers and to realize to what these principles lead
These fundamentals have become outstanding
facts here and all the earth in the past two
Government of the women of America out of the
siow-movng State method and placed the full re-
possibility, at the present time, upon the United
States Senate to show to the world our good faith
in a belief i'll the fundamental principles Of a COM
plcte democracy, or, by defeating the amendment
now before it, announce to the world that the
United States Senate still believes in sex govern
rrent and not in sclf-govcrnment
It is unthnkable that the Senate should decide
to place itsclf-and therefore America--in such a
light at this time before the warning nations.