New-York tribune., 1919-06-11

Special Correspondence
ALBANY, June 10.--Declaring tha
New York state should be in the fore
front in the advocacy and adoption o.
all measures of beneficial, progres
slve character, Governor Smith to-day
called an extra session of the Legisla
ture for next Monday night to take &C
tion on the ratification of the woman
suffrage amenument to the Fedora
Constitution.
Governor Smiths proclamation fol.
lows:
Pursuant to the power vested in
me by Section 4, of Article w
of the constitution, l hereby con-
vene the Legislature in extraordi-
nary session at the Capitol in the
city of Albany on Monday, June 16,
1919, at $3.50 o'clock, post-meridian.
"My purpose in calling the Legis-
lature in extraordinary session is
to enable it to take prompt action
upon the proposed amendment to
the Constitution of the United States
extending equal suffrage to women.
Urges Prompt Action
New York State has already ex-
tended to women the suffrage within
it's own bounds. When the right of
the women in the nation to the same
privilege is to be determined New
York State, the Empire State, should
be in the front rank, bearing its
full share Of responsibility, with it's
full share of the efforts required to
write into the Federal Constitution
the principles we believe in. and to
grant to the women of our land the
right to which they are entitled,
which should be speedily granted
them as slight recognition of their
heroic conduct in the great crisis
through which we have so recently
passed.
ut is important that action should
be taken upon this measure before
the next regular session of the Leg
islature for several reasons.
New York should be in the fore
front in the advocacy and ADOPTION
of all measures of beneficial pro-
gressive character, in the support of
which it has too often Jagged.
but furthermore. if this privilege
is to be extended to women in such
form as to entitle them to full par
ticipation in the next ensuing presi-
Dental election, early action is nee
essary.
To Prepart for Primaries
ut would not be sufficient to per-
nit them only to choose as between
candidates selected and PRINCIPLES
approved by others, but they should
be enfranchised at a date so earlv
that they may take part in the pri-
maries, which will be held n.xt
spring to select delegates to the ma
tlonal party conventions, and thus
sbe co-workers from the very start
in the selection of candidates and
the declaration of party principles.
"1n order to secure this carly
action by at least thirty-six of the
states, it will be necessary to call
special sessions Of the legislatures
), of many Of them, where regular ses-
'sions will not, under their constitu-
tions, be convened until 1921.
II know of no greater stimulus
to prompt an energetic action
throughout the nation than would
follow the immediate and decisive
approval of the proposed amendment
by, this, the most populous of the
commonwealths.
"If it receives the approval of
New York at an early date, believe
her good example would be farreach-
ing and forceful and be followed by
sufficient number of her sister
states at date so near that full
association in the steps leading up to
selection of our next President
would be enjoyed by the ncwly en-
franchised voters"
Governor Smith believes the extra
session will not last moro than two
days.