The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-07-21
MRS. Gait GOES TO TENNESSEE
FOR RATIFICATION CONFERENCE

New York, July 21.-Mrs. Carrie
Chapman Gait president of the ma
tional American woman suffrage as
sociation, has left New York for
Nashville to confer with the Tennessee
auxiliaries of the national who have
the ratification campaign of Tennes-
see in charge. Mrs. Gait will also
confer with Governor Roberts with
reference to ratification.
Before leaving, Mrs. Gait said that
Senator Harding's reliance on the
alleged record of the republicans on
the federal suffrage amendment was
sure to prove disastrous to the party
as an argument with the woman voter.
For the republicans to bring the
federal suffrage amendment within
one state of ratification and leave il
there is nothing short of betrayng
the women of the country" said Mrs.
Gait.
1T is mere lip music to chant that
Of the 80 ratifying states 80 have
republican legislatures. Women the
country over are calling back the
question, Is it by pre-arrangement
that the republicans fall back on
this so-called good record?'
1T is not enough for Senator Hard
ing to make and effort to secure the
36th ratification. 1t is not enough to
point to past performances. The re-
publican party must finish the task.
'No woman voter OF intelligence
can accept the responsibility of Gov.
ernors Clement and Holcomb as VI
innate. Every woman knows that net
ther Of these two men would dare
take the stand they have taken unless
they were sustained by a leadership
superior to their own.
"They have repudiated Senator
Harding's leadership. Whose leader.
ship do they follow?
Senator Harding is about TO come
before the women voters of the coun-
try as the choice of the republican
party for the next president. His
party stands committed TO the rati-
fication of the federal suffrage am
endment. He stands committed to IL.
Governor Clement of Vermont re-
fuses to be guided either by him or
the republican party. Governor Hol-
comb of Connecticut likewise refuses
1T is not the local politicians whom
the women voters of the country hole
responsible for the failure of the re.
publican party to complete the ratifi-
cation of the federal suffrage amend
ment in time Tor the women of the
Is unfranchised states to take par,
in the 1920 elections. 1t is not they
who are inviting the votes of the
women next November.
I'VE now pin our faith to the
Tennessee and North Carolina pros
poets. 1t is true that the republican
party has a record of nearly five
times as many ratifications as th>
democratic. II is just as true that
without the Seth state that record is
like a great tail without a kite. Ap.
parently it is the democrats who mus,
supply the kite. Well, let North Caro-.
lima and Tennessee ratify and nc
poWtr OH edTlH CAN SlOp lNe elleCl
on women's minds Of the contribution
of the seth state. Thirty-five rat,-
fications mean 35 ratifications. Thirty,
six ratificauons mean women en1ran-
chised
"lf the republicans halt the amenc-
ment at the point where it stands to-
day, they invalidate their appeal to
the women voters. If the democrats
lift the amendment into complete
ratification, their claim on the women
voters will be immeasurably strength
ened."
Among the Tennessee suffrage lead
ers with whom Mrs. Gait goes to
confer are some of the most prominent
women in the southern suffrage move