The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-01-10
'THROWS:s.SuPp''0|kT
BEHIND MEASURE
AT LAST MOMENT
Majority Committee Appeals
to President for Advice
in Matter.
CHAMPIONS OF CAUSE
SEE VICTORY IN VOTE
Action Of Nations Leeder
Comes as Big Surprise
to All Officials.

--
Washington, Jan. s..-~Presldent VII.
son tonight threw hia support TO the
federal amendment TOR woman auf-
frage.
On the eve Of a vote on suffrage In
the house ~ Democratic members
called at the White House with word
that many OF their colleagues .wAIted
advice from the head Of their party
a. to the position they should take.
There was conference OF ~ MIN
utes. the result OF which was described
In this statement dictated BY the presi.
dent himself and made public by the
delegation:
Weuldnt Volunteer Advice.
"rhc committee found that the
president had not felt At liberty 70
volunteer HIS advice to members of
congress- in this Important matter, but
when we sought his advice he very
frankly and earnestIy advised N to
vote for the amsndaaent AZ an Act Of
right and justice 10 the, women of the
country and Of the world"
In these few lines svffrage cham.
pions saw certain victory whera q few
days ago most Of them privately were
of the Republicans In the house have
been counted on to support the amend
ment and enough Democrats are com-
mitted to assure a closa vote. with
the weight OF the presidents ink1uence
to swing doubtful Democrats, RApre.
sentative Raker, chairman OF the auf-
frage committee, jubiIant,y predicted
tonight that the f~ee-sary two.thirds
would be exceeded by is or 20 votes.
Fight Promised.
Opponents Of suffrage were claiming
q safe margin nrainst the amendment
during the day IN spite Of intimaticrs
from the suffragis.r that n trump card
yet was to be played. There were no
formal predictions from opponents to-
night. but tremendous fight Ii
promised.
The news OF thn rroeident.s ac.ran
came as complete surprise tn naariy
everybody In the capitol, though some
Of the suffrage leaders have insisted
for n long titne that the president was
with them and would tell nybody who
asked him. Until now In all public
| n'terancos the president has held to
the view thnt suffrage was q question
to be determined by the individual
states and not by federal action.
Approves state Action.
uf,
the White House tonight to explain his
present stand Members OF congress
who participated In the conference.
however. said the president had told
them he still believed that the proper
| and orderly way Of dealing with the
| question was to permit each state to
| take its own action. but in view of con
| ditions now existing in the United
States and the world generally he felt
| free to advise submission Of fedora
| anne ndment to the states.
In emphasizing this view he IL said
| to have declared that the United States
| AS "a leader in the great family Of ma ;
| tions cannot disassociate itself from the
| family and cannot be reactionary on
! any great world question. When his
callers talked Of the state rights issue.
| the president IL said to he Se told them
he did not feel that this complicated
| the situation at all: that suffrage was
n policy and not a priscipie. He
pointed out that the federal coEst.tu-
tion now deals with the qualifications
OF electors and prescribed the qualtfi
cation OF those entitled to vote fol
| members of congress.
Democrats on Committee.
All of the members who went to tht
White House were Democrats and mos
of them supporters Of the amendment
but there were several uncommitted
In the delegation were Representative!
Raker, California: Taylor. Colorado
Rarkley and Cantrill, Kentucky; Hay
den. Arizona; Gregg and Jones. Texas
Ayres, Kansas: Caraway. Arkausas
Mayes, Utah; Linthicum., Maryland
Brumbaugh. Ohio. W., 8
| After Mr. Raker had explained tn
object Of the call each member tol
the president Of the situation, In hi
state.
The president Is said to have reptile
that while ne had. felt II was IA
proper to send for memhars or ~ ye1
nnteer his edvire, he wss eled of.4A
oNpcrtnnitv that the visit ~ H. =
<sfiSr sssr hiys. H taAieas y ~
he had not telt q liberty ~
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