New-York tribune., 1920-03-26
Friends of the Amendment
Plan to Call 1t Up in
Senate and Its Enemies to
Seek Test i'm Assembly
Pleas Make No Converts
Mrs. Gait Threatens That
the Connecticut Legisla-
ture Will Convoke Itself
From q Staff Correspondeut

night after day of hearings before a
JOINT session of the two houses.
The amendment may be called up in
the Senate tomorrow by its friends,
and in the Assembly it's enemies are
watching for chance to spring it upon
that body at an inopportune moment.
Minority Leader McNabb threatens to
call it up for a vote tomorrow, think
ing it will be defeated.
AS for the hearing to-day it was an
old-fashioned day of oratorv, with
cheers from the rival sides and women
standing for hours packed in the corri-
doris, thankful to catch few words
hoatlng through the transom.
On the streets and in the state house
perfect strangers became friends with
no more introduction than yellow
Jonquil or rose, colors of the pros and
ants, while in the hotel corridors the
same slight provocAtion led to long and
bitter arguments.
Mrs. Cats Plea
Speakers for the suffrage side in
tho hearing stressed the national i'm
portance Of the issue. They told the
men of Delaware that the eyes of the
whole country were upon this little
state, which was the first to ratify
the Federal Constitution and was being
given the "honor" of ratifying the
woman suffrage amendment as the last
and decisive state.
Mrs. Carrie Chapman Gait, president
of the American Woman Suffrage As
soclatlon, declared the amendment
would surely be ratified no matter
what action Delaware took
You can no more stop the passage
of this amendment than you can make
The sun stand still in the heavens
Mrs. Gait declared. "Thirty-fve states
have ratified. You have the chance
to be the thirty-sixth Will you take
it? If YOU don't, we'll then who's
next? | believe Connecticut will be
an anti ti-suffragist. He refuses to call
a special session. Very we'll. | ask
you did you ever hear of Legislature
calling itself? 1t has been done twice
in the last three years. 1t can be
done again.
Vote Nearly Precipitated
"At the very worst, the most that
nn happen to this amendment in the
way Of delay is to prevent the women
from voting until January, 1921, when
half a dozen states will be ready to
ratify in their regular sessions"
'You talk about justice to the
women who don't want to vote. | ask
you if it is justice to rob the women
Of eighteen states of the right to vote
in the coming Presidential election ?"
United States Senators Mcclellan of
of Missouri, Rel 1blican, we're the
speakers at the morning session of the
suffragsts. Senator Mcclellan almost
precipitated call for vote for which
the enemies Of suffrage have been
eagerly waiting.
"Would you be offended" he asked
call of you who wish to discriminate
against the women of Delaware in COM
parison with the women of the rest of
the country-if | should ask you to
stand up?"
No, we'd stand up gladly shouted
McNabb
'Is that dare?' came back the
Senator
"All right. AL of you. who think the
women of Delaware are less fitted to
stand up
Is this vote ?" cgied McNabb. In
stantly a half-dozen friends of suf-
frage were on their feet calling for
order, and with the pounding Of the
speakers gavel the crisis passed.
1t appeared tonight that the argu-
ment about the certainty of the amend
ment's eventual ratification had made
the mont impression upon the minds
of the legislators who apparently had
believed that in their hands. and theirs
alone, its fate lay. When they heard
from so many sources that it could not
be killed, they began to think about
getting in the procession. There was
no official announcement, however, of
any change of heart. In answer to this
argument of the suffragists, the worst
the anti-sutfragists could find to offer
was the threat made by Miss Charlotte
Rowe that if women voted next fall the
result of the election would be chal-
lenged.
The State Democratic Committee met
this morning in the State House and
reafirmed it's Endorsement of the rati-
tication bill. This was the greatest po-
itical gain of the day, as a strong at
temtp had been made by Mr. McNabh
to induce the Democrats to rescind
their support. In this he failed. Mrs
George Bass, chairman Of the Women's
National Democratic Committee, was
introduced to the committee and made
short speech. Suffragists were de-
lighted to notice that after his confer
ence with Mrs Bass Mr.. McNabb dis
carded the red rose from his button
hole.
Got to obey the boss" he said, smil-
ing. However, the Delaware Legisla-
ture is overwhelmingly Republican and
the sufragists tonight were busily
pointing ct to Republican members
that theirs was the responsibility.
Answers Plea for Referendum
Mrs. Henry Ridgly president of the
Delaware Equal Suffrage Association,
answered the appeal of the anti-suf-
fagists for q state referendum by read
ing statement issued by the lawye rs
of the association that the laws of the
state do Aot permit a referendum on
any question save liquor. Handbills
quoting this opinion were distributed
to every member OF the Legislature.
"Why waste time discussing a refer
endum in Delaware ?" the handbills say
"The greatest sons of Delaware and
! the greatest Delaware judges have set
| tied the referendum question complete
ly and finally. John NJ. Clayton and
JxNes A. Bayard have said the people
cannot make law, neither the whole
people nor part Of them. All the
laws must be made by their Represent
atives in the General Assembly met for
! IL .t>-.. ~ MD