Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-03-02

headquarters In Chicago, as IT did,
that SO very important change had
been made with full authority from
the President.
But to the delegation the President
January said the very same thing
we had heard on several different .oc-
casions: Ladies, think YOU make n
mistake IN coming To me | cannot
speak for my party, | must wait until
my party speaks 10 me. ! am not the
leader Of my party, | am only the
servant of my party
As we stood there that day and
listened to the President. his words
amazed us. Our minds went back To
legislation about which the President
had not waited for his party to speak
TO him: we naturally thought of
Panama Canal tolls and other bills
on which the President had caused his
party absolutely to reverse itself. Tie
has not hcsItatcd TO lead his party
when he believed that il was wise
and cxpcdient that his party should
take certain action That was the
leadership which we had always hoped
from him IN regard to woman suf-
fragc
At the end of that interview came
those words that were practically a
direct command 10 us: Il will tell
YOU, ladies, the thing which you must
do. You must concert public opinion
IN this country in behalf of woman suf-
fraCc, The group Of women simply
stood in the East Room of the White
House. never moved. never turned for
lrs L,
came and pushed Us back little.
Then the doors opened behind the
President and he went out The doors
We're shut in our faces; and those were
the last words left with us: Ladies,
concert public opinion In behalf OF
woman suffrage.
We went across the square very
slowly and when we came to our
headquarters we sat down there in the
drawing-room Everybody was think
ing, considering what the President
had said 10 lis, and questioning, w hat
are We going to do now
Then Mrs Blatch spoke those words
that we all remember. She said that
we could not be satisfied simply to
60 to the President once a year. or
even many times a year, as We had
been going. Think of the number OF
times We went in the four years Of
President Wilson's first administra-
tom
But now. said Mrs Blatch, we
must 20 to him every day, We must
have q continuous delegation to the
President Of the United States, if he
Is TO realize the never-ceasing. insistent
IL ,,f.x h,4 fnl-
where he Is responsible.
We may not be admitted within
the doors. but we can at least stand
at the gates We may not be allowed
to raise our voices and speak to the
President, but we can address him
Just the same, because our message
10 him will be inscribed upon the
banners which We Will carry in our
hands. Let US post our silent sentinels
al the gates of the White House"
You can remember the way in which
that suggestion was received.
The silent sentinels started out the
next day. On the 10th of january
that straight, steady line left Head
quarters, each woman with a banner
in her hand They marched down
Madison Place, swung up the Avenue
and took their places at the gates of
the White House.
You remember the banners that they
carried the banners that good many
Of US learned to love, the purple, white
and gold, and those which said: MIR.
President, what will you do for woman
suffrage" Mr.. President, how long
must women wait for liberty?' Those
were the banners which met the Presi-
dent as he came in that first morning.
If our pickcts had not done any
thing more than stand there that first
day, they would have accomplished