The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-06-29

ed in the democratic national convention in St. Louis in 1916. When the conven- tion met the republican party had al
 ready declared in favor of the enfran- chisement of women. To counteract the effect of this declaration in the repub- lican platform it was necessary that some favorable action on the subject be taken hX the democratic convention. It was my fortune to be a member of the plat form committee on that occasion The question of woman suffrage was present. ed and discussed at great length, pro and con, during the all-night session of the committee. We got positive information
 from the President that he favored wom- an suffrage, and requested that plank favorable to the admission of women iI to the electorate be written in the plat form. We were also appealed to by sen- ators, representatives and other public men from the equal suffrage states to
 make such a declaration, and we were
 warned that failure to do so would re- suit in the defeat of Woodrow Wilson
 and the democratic party in the coming
 election. The result was that after very thorough and full consideration of the subject the committee recommended the insertion of a plank in the democratic platform to the effect that the party favor equal suffrage by state action.
 'sWhen this fact was reported by me to the Alabama delegation the next morning very decided opposition was manifested. This opposition was manifested in the convention to marked degree, and seemed to he irreconcilable until it was overcome by an appeal from Senator Walsh of Montana and John Sharpe Will liams of Mississippi. who urged the adop- ton of this plank to save the democratic party from defeat in the coming election. The convention finally indorsed the action of the committee, and inserted the plank in the platform It's adoption resulted in the election of the presidential ticket,
 as well as the retention of democratic majority in both houses of Congress. But for the electoral vote obtained by President Wilson in the equal suffrage states of the west he would have been defeated, and undoubtedly the democ:ats would have sbeen left in the minority in bctk houaes of Congress- as it's majority in each branch was very meager.
 "All realize now, as many of us did at that time, that the defeat of Presi- 1 dent Wilson in that election would not only have been a great party loss, but | would have imperiled the future success ! O. the nation. But for the sagacity wis dom and leadership of President Wilson and the solid backing of democratic Congress the war with the central powers would not have ended when it did, but perhaps would still be in progress
 "The democratic party would have lost the benefit of having conqucteu 10 sue cessful conclusion the greatest war in the history of the country By success- fully winning the war, the der7cratic party has placed more to it's credit than it had throughout it's glorious history of 1C0 years. The defeat of the demo- l cratic party in the next election will probably mean it's loss of the countrys control for a quarter or perhaps half a century.
 I< "The democratic party is not reaction ary but progressive. One of it's funda- mentals is that it keeps abreast of the times I think it would be exceedingly unwise and impolitic to imperil the pres ent and future success of the party by inaction or opposition to the ratification of the federal suffrage amendment.
 "Therefore from the viewpoint of party interest my opinion is that 1t is not only expedient but necessary to party sue
 cess for the present legislature of Ala hama as well as the legislatures of other southern states to ratify the proposed amendment as speedily as possible.'