Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-02-14
SUFFS IN CHICAGO
CELEBRATE VICTORY
Cheer Mrs. Cats Plea, "Rejoice,
be Glad, You've Won Will
son Wires Greetings.

Chicago. Feb. IA victory jubilee
marked the opening of the fifty-tirst
National Convention of the Woman
Sutfragists. Mothers and grandmothcrs
and some spinsters tossed aside dignity
and for thirty minutes indulged IN dem
onstrafions of ioy. There are 2,2o0 of
them and majority footed the festive
horn and changed the ancient cowbell.
The only five more sign was con-
spicuous.
The delegates. many of whom have
devoted their lives to the cause, gave
way to incipient bursts of enthusiasm
from the moment Mrs. Carrie Chapman
Gait president OF the association. took
the chair 1t needed only the closing line
OF her opening address: Rejoice, ap-
plsud, be glad-you've WON'T to blow the
spark of enthusiasm into flame.
a din OF horns resounded. The dele
gates lined up by States and marched
up and down the aisles waiving banners.
Women stood on the chairs and led State
cheers and the entire assemblage united
in singing America and '"rhe Star
Spsngled Banner A Liberty Bell,
hung from the middle of the ceiling, was
rung ten minutes.
When the women quit from exhaustion
Mrs. Gait read the following telegram
nom Ire~lueQJ wilson,
Permit me to congratulate your as
sociation upon the fact that its great
work is so near its Triumphant end, that
you can now merge it into league OF
women voters to carry on the develop
ment of good citizenship and real democ-
racy and to wish for the new organization
the same success and wise leadership"
Mrs. Stanley Mccormick of Massa-
chusetts moved that reply be sent con-
veying the associations gratitude for
President Wilson's constant cooperation
and help, with deep regret for his recent
illness"
There was much comment by dele
gates concerning the Presidents adj
vocacy of a merger with the League OF
Women Voters, which is said TO be IN
direct opposition to the views of Mrs.
George Bass, a member of the Democratic
National Committee. \ representative
from each State which ratified the Federal
Suffrage Amendment stood at four corners
of the balcony of the gold room and tolled
the Liberty Bell in the order in which the
amendment was ratified. Illinois led the.
hist
Miss Grace Wilbur Trout, chairman
of the Committee ON Local Arrange
ments, In her address of welcome expressed
the hope that the ratification campaign
would make future conventions un-
necessary" Mrs. Trout urged the women
to use their ballot for better industrial
conditions and equal wages for men
and women workers.
I'VE have no official proclamation an
nouncing that our amendment has been
ratified by the necessary thirty-six States
said Mrs. Gait. but the ratifications
already completed and the special legisla-
,f.-, ulraa ,9,r Iln.l
bring us within very few of the required
number. There is no earthly power that
can do more than delay by trifle the
final enfranchisement of women"
Mrs. Gait charged Senators Hitch |
cock, Pomerene, Borah and Wadsworth |
with preventing the Suffrage Amendment !
passing the Sixty-fifth Congress. She /
blamed them for the necessity of calling /
special sessions Of the legislatures. And,
she added, ''if | catch any of you Republi- |
cans laying the blame on the two Demo |
cratic Senators, or any of you Demo- |
Gratis laying the blame on the two Re
publican Senators, / shall come to the |
defense OF your governor myself"
She then paid tribute TO the memories |
of the pioneers in the suffrage move |
ment-Abigail, Adams, Ernestine Rose. |
Abby Kelley, the Grimke sisters, Lucy |
ctotic, Ia ilHZaDttii lSiaShNcAs <tltoIA4Stte
Brown, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan |
3. Anthony and DR.. Anna Howard Shaw
and ended with the plea for rejoicing
that produced the demonstration.
A ripple of laughter ran through the
gathering as announcements of invitations
TO the Lowden and Wood teas wers read
AS well as notices that Miss Hay and Mrs. |
Bass are both holding ''open house" for
the registration OF the Republican and !
Democratic women voters respectively
The convention last night considered |
the end of the Suffragist party. Whether |
to join the non-partisan women voters, or |
dissolve and find harmony in the old |
parties Humanized legislation is agreed |
to be worked for by ali.