Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-01-23
THURSDAY. JANUARY q. 1919
The Contest for Woman suffrage

The Contest for Woman Suffrage.
Earlv IN the Legislative session the
campaign ioi and against equal suffrage
has been started at Dover We Say Tor
and against because number of women
ol our state, representative IN thrir local
ties and ~ i cahhrc that commands
respect. arc arraycd against equal suffrage
~ enthusiastically and vigorously ~ are
those of their sisters who lnSist lGvn the
privilege If suffrage being extended IL
the women Of Delaware
The fight for equal suffrage AZ Dover
will be N the form Of IN amendment 10
the State Constitution, which ineNurahk
pruScrlhcs hat every male cltisen OF thI-
State of the age Of twenty-onc wears and
upwards. with certain other require
mcnts, shall bc entitled ~ the privilege Of
franchise This bars the door To- women.
and the pending campaign is for the pur-
pose Of raising this har and admitting
women 70 equal share with men N the
privileges of voting.
In some States this question mav hc
considered fairly on IT. merits, hw not So
in Delaware Here the political situation
operates 10 array al Democrats IN on
position 10 equal suffrage, no matter What
may bc their personal Opinions Also,
!, arrays al Republicans IN favor q equal
suffrage, bN reason 81 tie great part iSan
advantage that would thereby accrue to
thsir party ~ cvcrN election
The situation Is thus Since th, adop-
sson Of the Fifteenth Amendment to the
Constitution Of the | ni,cd states, winch
prohibited the denla q suffragr ~ reason
of race. color, ~ previous CONDITION 81
serNitudC. 4l NAL, Negroes ui nclaVat,
have hccn permitted to vote II All elcr-
tions hy complying with the lcgal rcgula-
tions And durrg tho more than hali
century 81 be elective irsnChls, th,ls
extended 10 ftc Negroes 81 ppiaWarc Il
has been cNercIsed solidly ..s Ill ssct tor
one political party Il mattcrcd not vha
were the ISSUES Il Tho campaign II mat
tered not what was III, character oi the
candidates u he votcd for. every Negru
voter ii Delaware was set down A. Re
publican voter and voted 81 flc ci,,-
iion.
Now, when il comes - question of
conferine the pruegc Of franchise
lrr.on women, what j. tic problem that
confronts the Democrutp member ~ the
Leciss turr, No matter MA, may ho hs
view in respect of the rights Of women "a
the ballot II simply comprises the i'd
dition II large nunlt~r " Negro uomen
ss voters IL support u the Republican
party. Nothing can - ,learvT than this
With suffrage conferred uron thc women
OF Delaware, u would ~ expected that
the white women would dlvldo political
", the same as white men divide But
not - with the Negro women Every
lar one OF them would ~ 70 the polls on
ei~ctron day and vote the Republican
ticket, a. Negro men nov do
II h estimated that there are from
1000 70 1900 male Negro men oi vot-
ma are N Delaware, al ~ whom vote tie
Republican ticket most reheiou~iy al
cvrry occurring election. Thl- D. valu-
able ssset 20 the Republican party De-
spite ths large handicap. the Democratic
party of Delaware Is abl, 10 ~, up d hard
hight against its political opponent al
every election, vith prospects % victory
But what would b. be result WITH 1900 I
10 1900 Negro women voters added 10
{ he voting forces Of The Republican party
IL each election
There is only one answer 20 tins ques-
,on Equal suffrage ~ Delaware with
me Negro vote sohdll aligned IN support
81 the Republican party would sound the
Ieath-knoll If the Democratic party /
Win equal sufi rage the Democratic ic parry /
.ouid hardly have promise of cecting q
angie member II the General Assembly |
Also this large acquisition ~ Negro won-
IN voter 70 th. Republican party would /
's III iusltatiun "a tho worst partisan I
elements 81 that party ~ sccOn, control .
4 All nomination. and hy vrt4c ot the
III view oi this situation no Dcmocratic
member u the Delaware legislature 10
natter What his opinion may be ~ respect
Il equal suffrage could afford 81 vote bis
en- nn'nts in support ~ au amendment
. lhe State Consttutlon cUnierfing the
,rlvilcec u suffrage upon women The
Negro vote, solid, unthinkng without
eaSon. cast N favor Of one political part,
egardles- oi al considerations. for more
han half century, would surely
'old him back 10 vote his rcal scutl-
nen's would b. to vote destruction 10 hl-
'artv
\ tWo-tbrds majority i essential 10
tartlng an equal Suffrage amendment on
IS way through tho Legislature TIE
fepuhllcans have not such majority
10 wc have said. every RcpuLican mem