The sun., 1919-06-06
N. Y. WOMEN START
NEW SUFFRAGE YELL
R-A-T-I-F-Y - Ratify! 'Rah
'Rah {! 'Rah! Is Made the
Official Chorus.
MRS. GAIT ISSUES CALL
Urges Speedy Legislative Ac'
ton, She Tells Aids-Vic-
tory in Sight.

Here U the suffrage yell, evolved
yesterday at national headquarters. III
Madison avenue. by Mrs. Carrie Chap
man Gait and her aides:
"R-a-t-i-f-y--Ratify Ratify! 'Rah !
'Rah 'Rah"
And the women are going to see that
the legislatures do Il.
With scarcely a moments pause for
jLbilation over the passage Of the
Susan r. Anthony amendment by the
machinery going for the final step in
the enfranchisement of the women of
this country. However, none of them
felt like jubilating-they had worked
Tor 1t so long and the victory was so
sure now that It came almost as an
anti-climax. Mrs. Gait was far more
interested in catching the train for her
and Miss Mary Garrett Hays Briar-
Cliff farm than she was In talking suf-
frase. She wanted to get out and
gather the eggs in their all-hen poultry
yard. where ROSTERS are tabooed as not
necessary to a suffrage chicken farm.
Before she left, though. she sent tele-
grams to the Governors of the fifteen
full suffrage States urging them to
push legislative action, and to the heads
OF suffrage organizations In the Presi-
Dental suffrage States calling them to
arms.
Expect an Exciting Race
The Legislatures of Illinois. Wilson,
sin, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts are
| still In session. and the women of the
two Western States. having been granted
PRESIDENTIAL suffrage by large majorities
| In their respective Legislatures, expect
| they will run neck and neck in the race
to be first in ratification.
Indiana women are asking Gov. Good
rich to call a special session of the
Legislature there, and he has told them
that II 1t is necessary to the cause of
Suffrage he will do So Gov. Smith al
ready has been asked TO convene the
New York Legislature that this State
may have the honor OF being the first to
| ratify, but there are political reasons
why he may not desire to summon the
turbulent solons to Albany just now.
The Georgia Legislature will convene
June 26, and as Senator Harris and
Congressman Upshaw supported the
amendment and papers like the Atlanta
Constitution are for ratification. the
suffra eettes of that State are hopeful
January. 1920, will bring nine Legisla-
tive sessions: Kentucky. Maryland, Mis-
sissippi. Virginia, South Carolina. New
York, Massachusetts. Rhode Island and
New Jersey. In May. 1920, the Louisi-
ana Legislature will meet. In the mean
time Iowa and other States are calling
special sessions for other reasons. and
Mrs. Gait is confident that suffrage will
be considered at the same time.
Confident of Early Vote.
We are absolutely confident that we
shall have the necessary thirty-six rati-
fications In time for the women of the
| nation to cast their votes in the 1920
Presidential election" she said yester-
day. TT is not true that enough South
ern States are against the amendment
to defeat It. The solid South is broken
The Susan b. Anthony amendment Is
distasteful to parts of the South be-
cause its form is Identical with the
Fourteenth Amendment. and therefore
reminded them OF a hated thing. There
are districts there where men run for
Congress on a platform OF promises to
| secure the repeal of that amendment.
The South cares nothing for States
rights, as IL proved By the fact that II
initiated the prohibition amendment
which interferes much more with the
rights OF the States than does the suf-
| frage amendment. But there are men
in the back districts who. reading very
| little, are trained to fear the vote of
white women as they fear the vote Of the
| negro. However. some OF the very men
, in Congress who voted mo- on the suf-
| frage amendment begged other Com
| gressmen to vote yes so we do not fear
| Enthusiastically as twenty-five State
| Legislatures memorialized their national
representatives In favor OF the amend
| ment"
Later Mrs. Gait issued a statement
| thanking. in the name of the " A W.
S. A. the friends Of suffrage in both par
| ties.
| The passage of the amendment" she
| said. means for the Republican party
that Its progressive element has given a
| body blow TO its reactionary element.
For the Democratic party 1t means a
significant reassertion OF the leadership
| under which the party has made its
| greatest contribution to the nations his
tory. the leadership OF President Will
| SON."
Mrs. Gait said that so far as she knew
the ants were making no fight on rati-
| fication, except that in parts of the
South they are circulating a leafiet which
says:
Don't let loose the dogs OF the under
\