The sun., 1919-01-16
LIBERTY BONFIRES.
Why the Suffragists Burn the Pres.
dents Speeches.

dents Speeches.
To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN--Sir: Miss
Alice Paul. Mrs. Lawrence Lewis
and six other suffragists are in Jail.
in Washington, and are now hunger
striking.
They were arrested MS a result OK
burning President Wilson'S words on
liberty and democracy abroad.
To the general public, who may be
puzzled by our burning the words OF n
President who Is apparently champion
OF the national suffrage amendment, we
wish to make these statements:
First: Our Liberty Bonfires are
symbol OF our contempt for words I'M
supported by deeds. We will not sit
In silence while the President OF the
United States presents himself to Europe
as the representative OF a free people
when the American people are not free
and he is chiefly responsible for It.
Second. We agtate In this way In
order to get action on tho amendment
In this Congress. VIII our agitation
win action? Our answer Is: Judging
by experience It will. The conversion
OF President Wilson and of both polit-
ical parties to the support Of tho SUI
frage amendment, Its passage by the
House Of Representatives. and the win
ming OF all but one of the necessary 81
votes in the Senate. is the record OF
suffragists of the year 1918. We agi-
tsted all through the year.
SO far President Wilson's actions be-
lie his words Soon after his October
spt ech to the Senate, IN which he en-
phaslzed the vital Importance OF the
amendment, what do we flnd him doing?
We End him in November deliberately
going to tho electorate. demanding the
defeat Of some OF tho strongest sup
pcrters of the amendment, and asking
the election Of opponents Of suffrage
simply because they were Democrats
Twice over he had chances to win us
the lacking votes by using his power as
he often uses 1t. but he did not do 1t.
Just what action IL 1t that the Pres
ident can take TO save the day now? lie
can do exactly what he did In August,
1918, when he forced the child labor
bill through an adverse Senate. He can
demand caucus Of his party on tho
amendment, and use his power as party
leader TO make It "A party measure
Under the organization of the Demo-
cratic party In Congress the caucus
can DO called, and IT binds the members
Of the party to abide by the result of the
caucus. President Wilson well knows
that II Il Is made a party measure its
success is assured.
Just before leaving for France no
mentioned suffrage in his message TO
Congress. This was gratifying. and the
women believed that Of course tho Presi-
dent would see that II was on the legis-
Iative programme.
Unless he did his words would be
very empty. But 1t is not on the pro-
gramme. The Democratic chairman OF
the Rules Committee, who las the pro-
gramme In charge. has no thought or
bringing up the amendment for a vote.
The Democratic chairman of the Wom-
an Suffrage Committee does not show
the faintest sense OF responsibility for
| its success.
The President still controls a Demo-
cratic ma FORTY in the Senate. 1t Is very
clear that the President has not exercised
his leadership: 1t Is also very clear that
, II he desires he can have suffrage acted
so he allows women TO be arrested con
| ridiculous charges) whose only crime is
ay'iing for democracy. II he falls to act
he and his party viii be held responsible
for delaying, perhaps two years. the
| freedom OF American women and piac-
| ing on them the great financial and
physical burden OF further campaigns
SufYragists all over the land will natu-
Tally be Indignant that after seventy
years of struggle justice Is still denied
them, and 1t burns like red not iron
| into their souls that our country IL
dIshonored before the world and that
American women are Inundated before
| the women OF Russia and Germany
Let the Liberty Bonfres burn until this
! disgrace is wiped out
! EUNICE DANA BRASNAN.
! LLIzAuCTH SrLnES ROGERS.
National Wpruan's Dav'N.