Republican farmer., 1920-08-13
HAYS ASKS :
 HOLCOMB TO CALLSESSION
National Republican Chair man Asks the Governor
 to Act on Suffrage.

Hartford, Aug. 9-Up to midday today Governor Holcomb. who spent the weekend at his home in South ingtn, had not received the letter addressed to him by Will H. Hays, chairman of the National Republican committee, urging him to call a special session of the Connecticut general assembly to act on the suf-' frage amendment. No statement was, therefore, to be had from his ex- cel1ency- MT. Hays first declaration to the governor is:
 Your cause and that of the Re- publican party are one. This states a proved fact in a few words" He then relates action on suffrage taken by the recent national convention and says:
 Individually and collectively the effort of Republicans has been to se- cure the ratification of the suffrage amendment
 For himself he adds:
 Personally let me say that I am sym pathetic with it.''
 MT. Hays asserts that the suffrage question is not party question and "a special legislative session is a small price to pay for a clearer po- liticaI atmosphere
 As further argument for imme- diate action in Connecticut he says: "Relieve the Tmerican woman from the necessity of claiming her constitutional right and her sister from the fancied necessity of oppos- ing the claim and you will 1fberate a body of public opinion upon the cam | paign and it's issues which will prove 1 itself to be one of our greatest na- I tional assets"
 | In taking definite issue with the | governor, who says no emergency ex- ists, MT. Hays says:
 1 "I do not agree that so great an issue should be settled only after a 1 fresh legislative election. Wisely or | unwisely the question whether ratif- l cation of proposed amendment l should be submitted to the state leg islatures or to popular conventions | composed of delegates elected upon | that issue, has been by the constitu- tien of the United States vested in congress and not in the states. | . .
 eff, therefore, it is not for state ! authorities to submit the pending l question to popular vote, no valid reason can be suggested for refusing to summon a legislature in special ses- sion unless it is executive disagree ment with the anticipated action of that body. But this, I respectfully I suggest, is not a consideration by which authorities in any state should be moved. The test of the existence of the emergency which justihes a summons to the legislature, is not mere executive disapproval of the ac- ton which the legislative assembly will probably take. The test is whether or not the national welfare requires the prompt elimination of disturbing issue and the \deternina- tion of a. great question of citizenship
 before a pivotal election instead of
 after it.
 'tI refrain from advancing the usu-
 al arguments in behalf Of suffrage. , I leave entirely out of consideration
 the partisan advantage or disadvant-
 age which ratification might entail.
 ''I urge ratification first in the
 hope of thereby clearing the political J atmosphere; second, in the belief that the suppression of effective opinion
 works harm to the whole body po-
 Iftic and, finally in the conviction that
 we owe immediate action meas
 ure of simple justice to American
 woen"