Evening journal., 1919-08-08
HANDY DECLARESFOR
VUTES FOR WOMEN
Bel ewes Democratic Party
Would Benefit Ur der
Enlranchising Act
REP. FRANCIS WILL
SUPPORT MEASURE

lEA-f al nttdMNlN Rl iNlANlh tA'tNhNt' =
of the Democratic party ON the ground
that giving the vote 10 the colored
women would turn over the stale TO
/ the Republican purify ts declared with
out foundation by FORMER Congressman
! Levin Irving Handy, "A leading Democrat
/ of DelaWa e. un The contrary In tho
opinion OF Mr.. Handy, The entranchlso-
nieni OF Delaware women 'Nvlll prob
ably improve and strengthen Demo
cratic prospects,
This opinion of a prominent Demo-
crat Is of particular interest al THIS
time. a. lt Is an answer 10 the only
practical objection advanced by The
/ Democrats against The woman vote IN
DelaWure.
Mr.. Handy has written the following
( letter 20 Mrs, Benton Mackaye, at the
city headquarters OF the National No-
mans Party:
Mrs. Benton MacKayo, Il EAst seventh
street, Wilmington. Del,
MY Dear Mrs. MacKlye. ] am much
I Interested IN The effort being made
10 secure ratification In Delaware OF
lhe Womans suffrage constitutional
Amendment, and am a li.tla grieNcd To-
! bear that our Democrats members )i
/ lho General Assembly lru holding back
ln The matter OF pledglng assistance.
''Thls IS probably duo 90 The wide
spread notion among Democrats that
| the enfranchisement Of women viii
seriously hurt beir party By lding
SO many Negro women a. the body uf
Voters. Tho fact Is that the effect OF
giving votes 10 WON, iu Delaware
would probably improve and
strengthen Democratic prospects LOT
us look at the figures
According 90 the census OF 1910
there were In That year 900 Negro
voters in Delaware. practically all of
| them voted the Republican ticket
straight Probably $500 Negro N0los
went into the ballot box f0r The Re
publicsns Enfranchising fhc women
Wi add about SEQ Negr0u v0les 90 The
Republican side There are fewer
Negro eDmcn than men In Delaware.
For every 700 Negro females in Della
ware there are iOii Negro males. 10
Is that addition of 5000 Negro women
voters which scares the Democrats.
But look al The other side or The
ledger According 90 the same census
there were. IN 1910, the number Of y,
S35 whit, men 0f voting age in Della
ware over Ayc white men FOR every
Negro man had the right OF suffrage.
1Ne proportion OF white women 10
VhHe men ion Delaware is about the
same as among Negroes. For very 100
Willie females there We're 1916 white
nia,cs. 70 Is fair 90 assume that FOR
! lhc 5000 addI.-Onal Negro women Not-
/ rrf D. IA ..HN Hf-N
i50w white women. The oyerWhelm-
! ing majority of white men I'm Delaware
are Democrats At The last election
I about 600 more white men voted the
Democratic ticket in Delaware than
voted The Republican ticket Assuming
that The white women VIII vote with
their men. they will be sufficient 10
overcome The additional Negro women
voters and possibly give The Democrats
the majority.
"AnOlher great consideration is That
there will be no corruptive voters
among the wcmen. 10 appalls me 10
think Of the number OF corrupted white
voters i'm Delaware. men who habilu-
ally and me,hodically hunt for bribes
in exchange for votes This number Is
The result OF many years OF base alli-
ance between The vote buyers and The
sellers OF their franchise. surely ihc
new and as yet interrupted women
voters could not at first be reached In
The same way. The percentages OF
women vote sellers would be small. and
lhis would be a decided advantage TO
the Democrats in Delaware.
"If my party does not make the mis-
take Of opposing Woman Suffrage and
thereby alternating votes which would
naturally come 10 10, ] am clear in the
opinion that Woman Suffrage will help
our cause in Delaware. { submit this
view 10 the deliberate judgment Of our
party leaders in Delaware.
Yours truly.
LEVIN IRVING HANDY"
Theodore W. Francis Republican
Wilmington member Of The House, in
the State legislature, Today sent his
pledge TO yolc for ratification Of the
Suffrage amendment, TO The compaign
committee Of the National Woman's
Party
The committee has now secured the
pledges Of an the Wilmington Republi-
can members Of the State Legislature,
Mr.. Francis sending his promise from
Ocean City. stated.
Il want 90 say that J am in favor Of
giving the suffrage 10 women. and shall
vote for The Suffrage amendment when
the governor calls the special session.
The local members of The ratification
committee are now working 10 secure
the pledges Of the Democratic legisla-
tors resident in the city, none Of whom
has as yet promised TO vote fayorably
upon ratification OF the Suffrage amend
ment
The committee in charge OF thel
Suffrage pageant Of states tomorrow
night. is going ahead with the plans.
The young women representing ihc
amerdmeni. the thirteen Slales which
lave ratified The amenUmcct and ihe
state Of Delaware. vii De assembled
at the Peoples Settlerien. They ~ie
an members II the Settlement
The pageant viii leave the Settle |
ment at 80 O'Clock marching up
Eighth street 10 Market street. r0rth on
Market street 10 the old Court House
at Tenth ard Market streets.
The white cosumed young women
will be massed on The Court House
steps. while Mrs Benton Mackaye
will tell what has already been ac-
complished towards ratification. and
will appeal for public sentiment 10
support the calling Of The Delaware Leg
islature in special session TO ratify the
suffrage amendment.
EaV CT LIT q EEVRE 1