New-York tribune., 1919-02-23
By Hannah Mitchell

NASHlNOl YIN, rem Lu.-N ltN only
one vote lacking suffrage has had a
kaleidoscope week. Until last Mon
day it was simply question of
the onfranchisement of women granted
either by the states or by the
though woman suffrage has been
state, its advocates for years have
conducted a campaign of education to
save time and money and strength,
thew say, by getting an amendment to
the Constitution o. the United States
Such ali amendment passed the House
of Representatives by one voto Janu-
airy 10, 1918
When the amendment left the House
it lacked some eight or ten votes in
the Senate. A few Of these were won
over in one way or another, but there
we're not enough to pass the measure
when it was brought up in June Its
supporters saved the amendment by re-
fusing to pair and a vote was not
reached.
Late in Septen Der. 1918, the commit
Tee on suffrage brought the amendment
before the Senate Two votes that were
needed had not been pledged, but it was
believed that one of these was avail
able and that not few of the Senators
would rush to save the amendment if
its passage lacked only one vote A
nationwide appeal had Just been made
to women on the conduct of the war,
due to the second Graft law, and Presi-
dent Wilson in person asked the Sen
ate to grant woman suffrage The
amendment was defeated, So ayes, 81
noes. Senator Jones, Of New Mexico,
chairman of the Committee on Woman
Suffrage, changing his vote from "ayeD
to mo" when he saw that the resolu
tion had been lost 1t was known that
be would reintroduce it after the fall
elections had changed the personnel of
the Senate
And so a few days ago, with only
one vote lacking, and that we'll under
stood beforehand, the Federal suffrage
amendment was defeated again Febru-
airy 10 That was considered the end
Of it for this Congress- Republicans
of the next Congress we're patting
themselves on the back that the credit
for woman suffrage would be theirs, ac-
cording to reports They had counted
the influence of the women, those who
could vote and those who could not, in
the 1920 election and believed the Re
publican party could trust to hearty
support
Last Monday, to the surprise Of many
Republicans as we'll as Democrats, Sen
ator Wesley Jones, of Washington,
ranking Republican on the Woman
Suffrage Committee, reintroduced the
woman suffrage amendment. 1t was
the amendment that had been defeated
the week before. the Susan B. Anthony
amendment" granting that suffrage
shOu1H NOT ha 1anio1 hooo7-o
and giving Congress the power TO en-
iOrce the provisions of the article
Senator Jones announced he was in
inducing the amendment again simply
50 there would be a woman suffrage
amendment before the committee.
Un the following day another woman
suffrage resolution was introduced and
referred to the comm,tee. Senator
Gay, who voted against the measure
February 10, offered an amendment
that he would vote for" 1t gave the
several states the right to enact
legislation to enforce provisions of the
article.
Compromise Measure TO Come
:. Wednesday Senator Jones, of New
Mexico, bsgah working on a third YER
SION Of The amendment. Although the
amendment offered by Senator Gay is
IN SUCH form that he would vote for
y, sufragists say it is in such form
mat 1t would lose some ten votes which
me Susan B. Anthony amendment had.
senator Jones, chairman Of the com
mittee, is doing his best to bring the two
poles together. He hopes to strike
compromise that will win sixty-four
votes. votes. II he can accomplish this the
democratic Congress may take credit
70 Itself for the suffrage amendment.
:, Aals resolution offered by Senator
1sy is distinct play to Southern Dem
ccrats- When the amendment was de-
csted "a IN September Senator John
sharp Williams, of Mississippi, offered
an amendment limiting the extension of
sne franchise to white women" He
argued at length upon the critical sit
os1lon expected in the South in regard
az increase IN the negro vote would only
sugment trouble.
:. AT the time this argument was made
= seemed plausible excuse for not
,osng Tor woman suffrage, after Sen
s,of Wllliams's amendment was defeat
e. 81. IL is now granted, however, that
~utnern Democrats do believe the negro
soiaan vote will do great harm in re-
;sonsslruction. They say if an increase
"a We number of negro votes be forced
spon them at this time they cannot
asnd!e the old negro questions and the
.s" problems of negro Bosheviki. SEN
~. ssor Gays amendment, leaving the power
!. saiorce woman suffrage to the "sev-
States" aims to placate the South
sfn Democrats.
oh the other hand, Senator's who
sna s favored the Susan B. Anthony
sssaehoment believe the sort of amend
. s.sa' Senator Gay would vote for is
xs..srafy, IN spirit at least, to the 14th
= isnehdment to the Constitution in that
~ MAKES 1t possible for certain citizens
ps deprived Of some of their rights.
= Republican leader said to-day he
sAs" the new version would not be
s@ssed by some OF the Senators who
Ns'lously bad voted for suffrage.
a further attempt to compromise was
soe By. Senator Mcclellan Of Ten
,ssse, when he introduced an amend
aeae friday. His Amendment meets
i,'. H.. objection made by Senator Freling-
~a,. ~ssssn against. allowing foreign born
s.asn, who have become citizens
msvugn marriage, 70 vote. The amend
yssaH ns includes provision to keep from
n 'h2 those women who got the right
a. 40 10 merely through marrying.
a. asa"Neycr, with all these versions Of
IL woman suffrage amendment up
y.'fe tne committee, suffragists seem
a.. from satisfied that any except the
Isf. mat has been defeated viii sat
~. ae susan -. anthony amendment
g. introduced because it was the
rss.s rssaofnsnt drafted by the women who
s'sa nc yotc. For years sufYYagigtg
sss So ..Id hsId out for iss exact wording
~ - - pfogis1ons. Many Of them want
~ nprefnise on the enabling clause
congress tho p1wer TO enforce
Jss..'z 'znt Of women 10 vote. Senator