Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1920-05-13
MAY
DECIDE ISSUE
BY w. s. MANN

BY W. S. MANN
WASHINGTON, May 1s-Whether
the women of the country are TO vote
for the next president and vice presi-
dent of the United States and for
members of congress, in the Novem-
Der elections, depends very largely
upon that action taken by the Della
ware House of Representatives. Tho
state legislature meets May II, and
the contest between the suffragists
and the anti-suffragi gists for votes is
being wagod fiercely. BY vote of
IL to the Delaware senate passed
the resolution of ratification of the
suffrage constitutional amendment
AS ii stands today, the women are
still "shy" one state to make the
necessary three-fourths favoring rat
lhcation OF an amendment to the
federal constitution. Thirty-fiVe states
have ratified. Six states have defeat
ed ratification-all OF them in the
south. Two states, Florida and Ten
nessee, cannot act this year because
of provisions in their state constitu-
tions which require an election to in
tervene between submission of and
action on an amendment to the con
stitution.
There are. therefor. just five states.
including Delaware. to which the
suffra gists must pin their hopes for
besides Delaware are Connecticut.
Vermont, North Carolina and Louisi-
ana. In Connecticut and Vermont,
Republican governors are refusing
positively to call the state legislatures
into special session merely for the
purpose of passing on the suffrage
amendment. In North Carolina the
legislature will meet in special ses-
sion in July. The Louisiana legisla-
ture met this week
There has been strong pressure
brought to bear I'm both North Caro-
lima and Louisiana to have the
amendment ratified The North Car
olina Democratic convention by a
vote of 5S5 to 4S2 n adopted a plank
In it's platform recommending the
ratification of the suffrage amend
ment by the legislature. Senator
Simmons. probably the most power
full leader in the state, came out in
favor of ratification, not because he
had changed his mind about woman
suffrage-he has always opposed the
granting of suffrage through a fed
eral constitutional amendment, be-
lieVfng II was matter which each
state should settle for itself-but be-
cause he believed that the amend
ment would be ratified eventually by
more than the necessary thirty-six
states. and North Carolina might as
well make It possible for the women
to vote at the coming election asl
later. Senator Overman. his col
league, however, has continued to OPP
pose ratification.
John NJ. Parker. the new governor
OF Louisiana, is In favor of the suf-
frage amendment, and is expected to
work for its ratification. Reports
from Louisiana have been encourage
Ing to the women.
In one of the states which already
Al. n
action of the legislatures, the suffra-
gists are facing fight for referen-
dunn to the voters, in accordance
with the provision of the state con-
stitution. This Is Ohio. The demand
for the referendum has been made.
and the case has been carried to the
supreme court of the United States,
and was argued there April %.
Should the court hold that referen-
dunn was I'm order in Ohio, then the
suffragists would have TO find two
more states to ratify the suffrage
amendment instead of one as at pres
ent.
Until this case is settled by the
court there must necessarily be a
certain amount of uncertainty In re-
gard to the status Of the suffrage
mendment-unless. of course, Del
aware and Louisiana and North Car
olina or any two of them should rat
ify. The supreme court usually takes
its summer recess in June and does
not return to Washington to hand
down opinions until the following
October. So the women may be kept
in a state OF anxiety all summer, If
the court does not hand down its
opinion in the Ohio case within the
next few weeks.
Here is the way the women suffra-
gists put it who are in the know"
If Delaware ratifies, then North Car
olina and Louisiana may be expected
to follow suit pretty promptly. If
Delaware fails to ratify. then 1t is
very doubtful that the two southern
states, or either one, will ratify.
A suspicion has crept into the
minds of a numbtr of suffragists that
the politicians in the two old parties,
the Republicans and the Democrats,
are anxious not to have the suffrage
amendment ratified until after the
elections in November. The woman's
vote, except in states which already
have suffrage, Is an uncertain guam
tlty, and perhaps it would be as well
to have the status quo remain. On
the other hand. the national leaders
of both parties have been urging the
states TO ratify, hoping to obtain
some political advantage If the sur
frage is given the final push over the
top by action of a Republican-or as
state legislature.
In most of the states the women
will be able to register almost up 10
the last, if ratification should be de-
layed until the fall of the year. Pro
vision is made for registration of
voters in many instances anywhere
from thirty days TO a week prior to
the elections, which take place No
vember 2. In Georgia and Rhode
Island, however. registration must be
made earlier. The Georgia law pro-
vides for registration six months be
fore the election. The date has al
ready gone by. But there is also a
provision in the law that registration
can be made at a latter date if de-
sired. The Rhode Island date for
registration IS June 80.
Day all night service at Robert Treat
Garage loeS9-o-f-et'
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