Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1920-01-28
WOMAN SUFFRAGE.
To REFERENDUM
House Committee Listens to
Speeches Three
Hours
NO VOTES THIS FALL
DR.. Kate Waller Barrett, of Alexan-
dria, Delivers Speech Favoring Bal
lets for Women.

! Richmond, Jan. 2S.-At the con
.lusion of arguments last night on tn:
question of suffrage ratification, thi
i House of Delegates voted to pass W
farther consideration and to provide
,atcr for referendum vote.
A resolution embodying this de.
::sion was passed by a vote Of So tc
80.
This action throws Virginia among
the States whose women will not
vote in the next Presidential election:
It apparently is the purpose of the
majority in the House Of Delegates tc
delay the referendum as long as pos
sble.
After hearing speeches favoring anG
opposing the resolution for the rejec.
Ion of the Susan B. Anthony amend.
ncnt to the Constitution of the United
States fer more than three hours
Monday afternoon, the Committee or
Federal Relations Of the House Of
Delegates voted favorably OH the res.
oIution by count of 7 to 5.
This action was taken in executive
session at the conclusion Of the pub
iic hearing, during which fifteer
speakers made addresses.
Nine prominent speakers amcne
hem Dr.. Kate Waller Barrett c.
Alexandria. upheld the cause of suf
.rage for women in Virginia. Arrayec
against them were Miss Caroline
Davis, Eppa Hunton. j, Soma
ror Leedy, Delegate Warren, Of Pitt,
yIvania, and Miss Emma Morris.
Miss Caroline Davis, of Charlottes.
yille, was the first speaker for tho
passage of the rejection amendmen'
She declared that the average Amer.
can woman does nct want to be gov
erned by women-sh he desires to bC
Governed by men. This statement sh:
qualified by saying that the will o.
ne majority of the men will Away:
1verrule the will of the majority o.
women.
Mrs. B. 3. Valentine, president Of
ne EQUAL Suffrage League Of Fir.
,inia, declared that thousands of Nir
..nia women believed that things
would be better if men and wcnle:
gulcd together. She said in conclusion
"Vi-ginia cannot stand before the
var Of civilization if she refuses tc
rive women self-eovernment."
IF the majority of the white wo-
'nen of Virginia want suffrage they
will get it, was the decisive state
aent OF Eppa ,Hunton, Jr., after he
| lad said that he was against the re.
'orm because women were not tem-
oeramentally fitted to vote. When Mr.
Iurton declared that the majority OF
Virginia women would get the vote If
hey desired it, there was wild burst
# applause from the many suffrage
advocates on the floor of the House
and in the gallery.
When this noisy demonstration had
'inally died away, Mr.. Hunton, with
broad smile, said:
didn't I tell you that women wer:
rot teperamentally fitted for the cast
Eing of the ballot. They have 1us'
given way to their feelings. ina
proves it."
! Mr.. Hunton said that, in his cplnior
1t was bad taste for both polit;ca
parties to be racing to eaten tn
votes of American women. de decIar
| I'd that the time was not ripe TO
he adoption of suffrage for women
and that the passage of the eigh
.eenth amendment would federal:Z
Virginia. This statement evoked lou
applause.
81 have been governed by wo
man for a long time, and l find
salutary and useful" said Delegat
Thomas Lomax Hunter. in reply t
the charge of those opposed to VIC
mans suffrage that women wou!
rule men. Mr.. Hunter plead for an g
tension ofihuman liberty, which Wou!
extend to women and concluded h
address by declaring that II the Il
auerce of woman had made and kel
; the home pure, it would help pollSlc
State Senator Leedy 1oifoWs