The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1919-06-05
BADGER 'SUFFS'
ARE OPTIMISTIC
Wisconsin Feminists Are Ju-
bilant Over Their Victory
In the House Of
Representatives.
MRS. Y0UMANs EXPLAINS
state Leader Of sufragists Describes
Campaign Which Bids Fair To En-
franchise Women In the
United States.
(By Theodore w. Youmans.)

1 10y 4uCOuOId w OuuIduS.J
I have been working actively for
woman suffrage, giving most of my
time to it since the summer of 1911,
SO I count it a piece ofkgood fortune
that / should be able to be present
when the final victorious vote was TAX
EN- in the House Of Representatives,
May Fl, 1919.
We knew the vote would be taken
early in the special session but we had
not imagined that any important mea-
sure would come to a vote the third
day of the session, with almost none
of the preliminaries which are con-
sidered necessary to legislative bodies.
Mr.. Mann of Illinois is the new Repub-
lican chairman of the woman suffrage
committee, and even before the demo-
cratic members of the committee were
named, Mr.. Mann had provided for a
vote in the House on Wednesday, the
special session having opened on Mon
day. Don't ask me about the parlia-
mentary procedure which made this
possible. It is a deep andtdar mys-
terry to me. But when I reached Wash
ington Tuesday evening the newspa-
pers announced that the vote on the
federal amendment for woman suffrage
would be taken the next day.
House sessions open at noon. T ar
rived at the gallery shortly after ten
O'Clock. The door=keeper was evident
ly instructed as to the two suffrage or
carnations, because he asked if we
were Mrs. Cats ladies'. The Ma
tional American Woman Suffrage AS
ISOLATION had section Of seats re-
served on one side of the press gal
lery, the National Woman 8 Party, the
party Of picketing and bonfres and
jails, had section reserved on the
other side of the press gallery. Near
~ opposite the speaker's desk was a
gallery where little company of ants
congregated.
The galleries filed slowly and were
at no time crowded The floor filled
slowly too. The speaker s gavel drop
ped at noon and the members pretend
ed to be in order. However, they did
not cease to walk around and visit with
each other and eLljoy themselves each,
after his own taste. No one male any
pretense Of listening to the reading Of
the minutes and although the reading
clerk had voice of great power and
resonance could not understand one
word he read.
Mr.. Mann, who is Republican floor
leader as well as chairman Of the wo-
man suffrage committee, early took
command Of the situation and it was
provided that debate shoyHd.be limited
to two hours, one hour for those who
favored and one hour for. those who
opposed the measure, and that the
vote should be taken at three clock.
The time allowed to each speaker was
carefully parceled out by the leader on
either side. S.
In general the opposition was cent
cred in the states-right- South, and the
arguments were Of the usual character.
A Pennsylvania member who opposed
wound up his argument by urging wo-
men to remember their biological and
physiological character.
Several good speeches were made in
favor. Our new member from the
eleventh district, Mr.. Nelson spoke
very well. Former Speaker Clark re-
ceived an ovation when he, took the
floor in our favor. Mr.. Monden from
Wyoming, our tried and. true friend,
made an excellent speech, and Mr.I
Mann himself also made capital
speech.
Of course no one imagined that any
oratory would change any vote but it
seems to be the proper thing under the
circumstances. Two amendments were
offered by the opposition, one to limit
the time Of endorsement of the amend
ment by the legislatures to six years.
and the other to have the amendment
endorsed by referendum of the states
instead of by the legislatures - of
course plainly unconstitutional. Both
amendments were voted down by al
mighty mo.
When the roll-call came. on the pass
age of the amendment, I did not try
to keep track and could not have done
so If I had tried. It was apparent
from the beginning that there were
many more "ayeso than noeso but
once in while two or three noes
gave one moment Of fright. It takes
long time to record the votes of 1893