Evening star., 1919-10-05

AN Iy-all LnOSe OF age ana
v v qualifed-take part in the
national elections in 1920?
This is a question which is giving
both the managers of the big political
parties and the women themselves
much concern at present
Up to date, seventeen states. through
their legislatures. have ratified the
proposed constitutional amendment
granting the right of suffrage to
women. In order to make the amend
ment operative, however. thirty-six
states. three-fourths of the entire
number, must ratify. This means that
between the present time and the
elections, a little more than a year of.
the amendment must be ratified by
nineteen more states-a big order. 1t
appears all the bigger when it is re-
membered that in only four of the
states counted upon to support the
suffrage amendment are regular ses-
sions Of the legislature to be held in
the next year. In other words, special
sessions of the legislatures must be
held in at least fifteen states for the
ratification of the amendment In
Colorado. a special session already has
been called.
Rests With Governors.
JJpon the shoulders Of the governors
of the states, therefore, will rest in
large part the decision as to whetner
the women of the entire country are
to vote for the next President ana
Vice President and the next Congress.
1t is Of interest in this connection 70
note that since last June 4. when the
Senate put the finishing touches on
the suffrage amendment. so far as
Congress is concerned, thirteen states
have ratified at speciaA sessions OF
their legislatures and four states nave
ratified at regular sessions.
The suffragists expect twenty-five
states to ratify the amendment IN
addition to the seventeen which have
already acted favorably. That Is.
they have sounded out the sentiment
in the legislatures of those states
and the sentiment In states wnere
this coming November. If favorable
action should be taken in all twenty
two states, then thirty-nine states
would have ratified the amendment.
three more than necessary.
The four states in which the leg1s-
atures meet in regular session oe-
fore 1921 are Rhode Island. Maryland,
New Jersey and Kentucky. The wom-
en- are busy campaigning today in
those states, seeking to pledge all
candidates, irrespective OF party al
fliations, to support the Suffrage
amendment They believe that they
will be successful. Add these four
states to the column of those ratify-
| ing and the total is twenty-one- In
Colorado suffrage state nova
special session of the legislature has
been called for October Is. and will
ratify the amendment without delay,
it is said. This brings the total in
| the ratifying column up to twenty
two, still fourteen short OF the reQui-
site thirty-six-
| The women are making 1t their
business to see that special sessions
shall be called in at least fourteen of
| the states which are favorable to
leaders, both republican and demo-
cratic, are seeking to have these spe-
cial sessions of state legislatures
| called for the purpose OF ratifying
| the amendment
The republicans expect to reap the
tage derived from the enfranchise-
ment of the women of the whole coun-
try They point out that the resolu-
! ton proposing the suffrage amend
ment to the Constitution was put
| through a republican Senate, after re-
peated attempts had been made to
get the Senate to adopt the resolution
while the democrats were in the sad
die They also point out that the
| stronghold of the opposition to the
suffrage amendment has been the
southern states. which is also the
| stronghold of the democratic party.
Democrats Fall Into Line.
On the other hand, the democrats
have seen the handwriting on the
| wall and they know that if they do
not aid the women in getting what
is now inevitable. all hope for their
party success in years to come is
gone.
The states and the governors to
whom the suffragists are looking for
special sessions of the legislatures
so far uncalled-to aid in the ratif-