Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-06-25
A BID FOR THE WOMAN VOTE

/ lRESllDtNl L W llISoN - urgent mes.
l. sage to Governor Roberts, Of Ten =
nessec. to call special session of the
Legislature to consider the equal suf
frage amendment is n palpable bid for
the woman vote.
ut would ho real service to the
party" saws the President. IL the Dem.
ocratic governor cf Tennessee would
call the Democratic Legislature to.
g"thcr 90 that the final ratification Of
the amendment might be secured by the
vote of the Democrats.
Mr.. Wilson doubtless explains to
himself that hc acted as the leader Of
his party and not rs the President Of
the United States when he telegraphed
to Governor Roberts. Will Hays. the
chairman OF the Republican National
Committee. sought some time ago to
induce the ReNubiican governors Of
Connecticut aud Vermont to call the
Legislatures in special session to act on
the amendment. but the governors re-
fused. presumably. because they were
not Mt all certain that the Legislatures
would approve the amendment.
II Is no gravCr crime for a Repub-
lican governor opposed to woman suf-
frage to refuse to be n party to amend
ing the constitution than il Is for the
Legislature of a Democratic state to
reject the amendment. Delaware is the
only Republican state that has actually
turned down the amendment. The
Democratic states. Of Maryland. Vir-
ginn. South Carolina, Georgia. Missis-
- n I. l.1.l ~.
refused to consent to it. Thus the
record stands with six hostile Demo
cratic states to one hostile Republican
state where the subject has been con
sidcred.
Mr.. Wilson is anxious to get what
glory he can for the Democratic party
through the favorable action Of the Ten
neSSoo Legislature. lie doubtless rpa
sons that the women will bc friendly
to tho party which casts the deciding
vote for equal suffrage this sumner and
thus enables them to vote in tho prcsi
dental election. But We arc inclined to
the opinion that he is bclittling the
intelligence Of the women. They know
that tn" Democratic South j. hostile to
equal suffrage. All but one If the states
that have rejected the amendment are
south Of Pennsylvania aud cast Of the
Mississippi. The exception is Louisiana.
the greater part of which il west Of the
big river. The women know that the
Republican states have done much moro
for them than the Democratic states.
1t was Senator IInrdiug's refusal to
urge tho governors Of Connecticut and
Vermont to act that gavr Mr.. Wilson
his opportunity TO show the women that
hc was much moro deeply Interested in
their cause than the Republican candi-
date. Yet Senator lIarding's attitude
was III" right ono. Iin favors woman
outrage. lie voted for the amendment
in the Senate. But he tod tho women
who asked him ~ bring pressure 10 bear
mn tho states that the use of such pres.
sure by tho chief executive would bc
wrong aud that it certainly could not
be expected Of man who was merely
1 candidat" for the Office. Indeed, hr
what used to be good Demo.
ratio d"ctrin" when he insisted on the
rights Of tho states. uninflueucpd bv
lutsid" pressure, to exercise their own
discretion.
The Democrats. however. have ahan.
toned all their old doctrines. and it is
astonishing in these days. when so
many persons ere saying that the spirits
IF tn" dead can revisit the glimpscs Of
tn" mopn. that tho spirit Of Jefferson
mas not been in communication with
The Whit" liouS" through Mrs. Frank.
lin Is. Lanes ouiia board and protested
against any further masqucrading of
'Ntrem" rontralizers under the banner
II III" party Of state rights.