The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-12-19
RATIFICATION BY SO
STATES BEFORE FEB.
Carrie Chapman Gait Predicts Victory
for Suffrage Amendment at
EarIv Date


Early Date.
New York, Dec. 17.-The Federal
suffrage amendment will be ratified
by the necessary thirty-six States not
later than February next
This prediction was made Monday
by Mrs. Carrie Chapman Gait, presi-
dent of the National Woman Suffrage
Association, recently returned from
tour OF the Western States. Ii
means, If Mrs. Cats prediction is TO
be fulfilled, that the fourteen State
Legislatures, either in special or regu
lar session. will ratify the Federal
amendment giving nationwide SUI
frage to the women OF America by the
end OF next month Itbwill also, Mrs
Gait says, establish record in the
matte of time Necessary to ratify
popular constitutional amendment
1T has been a record of remarkable
progress Mrs Gait said The
amendment was submitted on June 4
last, after which we were able only to
catch the declining days of the regu.
lar sessions of many CT the State
Legislatures. 1t took the prohibit on
amendment a year and month be,
fore it was ratified, and some popular
amendments have taken as long as
-four years
/ However, there has never been
any fear OF ratification 1t has been
matter of time only. And for this
reason the outlook is now particularly
pleasing.
! When the international suffrage or
ganization meets in congress- in Mad
rid the first week in April we hope
cur delegates will be able TO go on
record as representing n nation that
has finished its task. 1t is notewor.
Thy that those include some OF the ma.
lions With whom we have been at
particularly Germany, which has
given her women the vote. But with
the outlook for ratification in this
country by February so bright, it IS
unlikely that the American delegates
TO the congress- in Madrid viii be put
TO the humiliating position of being
told BY the German representatives,
We have beaten you at your own
same OF democracy"
Mrs. Gait was enthusiastic yesteg.
day about the results Of hor Western
trip.
The trip was undertaken" she ex-
planned because our organization
was unable to understand why the
Governors OF some OF the States
which We knew to be for suffrage
were lukeWarn to the suggestion of
calling special sessions OF their re-
spective Legislatures for purposes OF
ratification States that We expected
to lead off in the matter were content
10 assure us that they would finish
the job. We were unable to under.
stand why except to realize that Ger.
tain local problems may have stood
in the way. There were three States
in Particuar-Sou Dakota Oregon
and New Mexico--over which we
were troubled and whose Governors
would give US no promise in respect
to calling special session However.
am glad to be able to say that South
Dakota has since called a special SEES
sion and ratified; a special session
has been called for next month in Ore
gon and the Governor Of New Mex 60 /.
has promised to call q special ses. !
sion just as soon az he can fix 40 .
some vacancies in the Legislature.
Other Governors have given us as /
surances that special sessions will be /
called but have asked that no public /
announcement Of the fact be made at I
this time. The reason Tor that re
quest is that tie executives wish 10 .
maintain control of the dates and Ger
tain problems particularly irrigation .