Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-03-12
SUFFRAGE ROW
ABOUT TO START
Resolution to Amend Consti-
tuition Will Be Signed For
Grand Contest

Signs are becoming, as plentiful
about the Capitol that there will be
a breezy time over woman suffrage.
as they are that rurzl members
are eager to finish up the work
and go home and that the old Phila-
delphia struggle for control will soon
demolish hopes of harmony the re-
mainder of the session.
The suffragists and the ants have
gone to the mat in the Pennsylvania
Legislature and there are several
weeks of interesting happenings
about to start. When Representative
William T. Ramsey announced yes
terday that he would introduce a
resolution to amend the Pennsyl-
vania State Constitution to permit
women the ballot, the Ants, headed
here by Miss Eliza d. Armstrong,
OF Pittsburgh and Mrs. o. d. Oil
phant, of Trenton, n. ]. represent
ing the National Anti Suffrage Asso-
citation, Immediately got busy" Why
try to force the ballot on us when
We do not want it'd" was the OPEN
ing gun of words that Miss Arm
strong of one of Pittsburgh's first
families, fired into the opposing
camp.
Mr.. Ramsey, experienced in legis-
lative halls and with respect for Miss
Armstrong who yesterday celebrated
her seventy-fourth birthday, made
a non committal answer and excused
himself to so to a committee hear
ing.
IT have no fault to find with will
Ramsey" said Miss Armstrong, "and
possibly he is acting at the behest
of others, but insist that women
do not want the ballot and nothing
could be fairer than to let the women
decide that question for themselves.
But the others, meaning the suffra-
gists) would not agree to that. II
is because they are afraid and do
not dare to let the women of Penn
sylvania say whether they want to
vote or not"
That is the rule everywhere" /"
said Mrs. Oliphant.
II am at a loss to understand
the words of these women who want
to vote" said Miss Armstrong. ITO
save my life I can not find a senti-
ment among women for this mascu-
line privilege. They do not discuss
the matter at all and what women
do not discuss they are not interest
ed in and what the women are in
terested in they will talk about, be
it other women. dresses, styles or
anything that strikes their fancy at
that moment. There is a never
ending mystery about women that
is their greatest charm, but in the
voting respect there is no mystery
On this subject they are as open as
the sky-they do not want it. To
prove my point, l am willing that
men or women ask the women with
whom they come in contact and they
will soon see that women are not
interested. And when a woman is
not interested-but why so into
that again?
DO you think there is as much
interest among women in suffrage
as there was a few years ago." Miss
Armstrong was asked.
II never thought there was much
interest in the subject among wom-
en- generally" answered Miss Arm
strong. "Of course, among a GER
tain type of women who can be rec
ogniZed almost on sight there was a
big interest in getting the ballot
Those faddists were for it strong,
but the cradle-rocking and bread
baking type, speaking generally by
that, were not for it. The mother
ly type. whose sole thought was in
her husband children. and home,
had no time for such didos. OF
course. the strong-minded, or weak
minded kind, according to the per-
sonal viewpoint, who burned our
President in effigy, who have served
prison terms and have no haven ex-
cept among themselves and little
welcome elsewhere, are using the
suffrage vehicle for their publicity
explorations, but the only thing I
have heard about their goings on
lately was from a man who said the
minute the newspapers stopped
printing their disgraceful affai :,
that minute they would stop the..l.
Personally, I think some few of
Il ose women have good sense and
the others are spiendidly mannish,
and always picture them mentally
as creatures who must have mus
cular arms and square jaws"
"I think the entire matter a
farce" said Mrs. Oliphant.
my point is that the women do
lot waut the ballot" concluded Miss
Armstrong. "They do not want to
be bothered. We will not discuss
mental qualifications property and
all the textbook arguments of the
big, strong suffrage women. 1t all
resolves itself into a women's ques-
ton and answer proposition, pure
and simple. You might ask why
the women do not want it and ]
could give many reasons, but ask
any woman, and, everything else be.
ing equal. she would say, Because.
Back of that line, the because line
there is no retreat"
The suffrage side of the question
will likely be here, in the form Of
a working committee next week
and then their answer to Miss Arm
strong's homespun argument will b.
worth hearing. Miss Armstrong Il
willing to argue the question anc
wants a public hearing on the pro