Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-03-12
END OF A PROUD WORLD
COMING IN DELAWARE?
There the Final Vote for Suffrage
Ratification May End Mans Long
and Exclusive Reign in Politics

and Exclusive Reign in Politics
I EQUAl. suffrage over all this land is
- now So near as to leave attentive
minds with n tiugling impression of a
great change already consummated
Almost all the last ditchcrs have
ceased firing. Every eighteenth century
mind in the country wears crepe upon
its portals. Tn" old guard editors and
the exalted stand pattCrs in both par
tics have withdrawn together from tho
field and sit in grim rows and await the
crashing doom of their prophecies. The
rataclysm Of Tho Vote will bc for them
n sort Of gloomy triumph. Aren't they
10 be avenged upon an age that wouldn'
take their advice?
/ 1t was Senator Pcnrosc who likcned
woman suffrage TO death and bcsought
! his country to hold it off as long as
possible. Ono wonders what the senator
is thinking in Florida The governor
of Vermont and the governor of Connec-
( ticut will be known in the future as the
martyrs of their lost cause. They re-
fused to call legislative sessions to ratfy
the votes amendment Th Y will go
down. Suubbiug tho new dawn.
But two states arc needed lo ratiry
the amendment. and tho state Of Wash
nGton and tho stntc Of Dclawar" have
called special legislative sessions to
consider It.
They don't waste words in Washing
ton-that is. in tho state Of Washing
ton. So Delaware. where words arc
often wasted, will probably have the
deciding vote. The littlcst state hut ono
! will almost certainly be tho center Of nm
enormous tension. II will bc swung
into the full blaze of national scrutiny.
It is governed by men who feel about aS
Senator Pcnrosc feels. But YOU don
fight death when it comes Ht tho last,
You accept it with n sigh. Delaware
will probably ratify the suffrage amrud-
mcut aud bow neatly in n whirlwiud of
soprano cheers.
Tho very ardor Of self .Congratuation
amoug suffrage leaders carries moving
suggestion of inCXpcriCncc in victory.
DO the surTragiStS know that every vic.
tory is Il mixed blessing; that il is Il
beginning aS we'll as an end that to win
is to find Yourself inevitably under new
4 'ul''lNs ll'li 'lINIlllhl - '~~ill' WE
/ And because Of it about - 600 600 new
votes will II" projected into one Of tn"
most important general elections in
American history.
Women with tho franchise but with
out previous interest or cxrcriCucc in
public affairs will be required to choose
between issues that bcwildcr the oldest
aud wiscst of meu. And by the result
of the experiment the woman vote will
be judged and appraiscd.> accepted or
questioned. for n generation.
l.nqucstionably women will be great
balance Of power in 1920 Yet the
country knows little of their minds
There is no question about the talent Of
their leaders. But how far will the
leaders be able to lead:
Out Of the National Suffrage A,so-
citation. which was dissolved formally
when victory was sure. sprang the Ma.
tiunal League of Women Voters. nu
organization which aims to be au iudc.
pendent power in national politics. Its
active units are tho wumcn's clubs Of
thc country.
Mr.. GOmpCr, wa imposed tN have
done something revolutionary when he
asked the Federation Of Labor 10 ignore
party lines and support selected mon.
Yet the chief of the federation merely
echoed an appeal issued to the women Of
the country from the convention Of
women voters at Chicago. This con.
vCntion was memorable for tho nlcrIuc>-
Of its leaders aud for the liberalism. tho
courage aud frankncss Of its views, II
deplUrcd the general misrepresentation
Of tho Mexican affair and declared for
a calmcr and fricndlicr approach to tho
endless complexities below tho southern
border. II formally expressed II desire
for n League Of Nations. II insisted on
n continuance of personal freedom. 1t
dcplorCd all tendencies opposed to free
speech. II free press and free rcprcscn-
tation. Vet the League nf Women
Voters still exists largely II u gallant
hope. The League Of Worrn Citizens
in PcnuSylvania-thc state Federation
Of Women, Clubs in another uspcct--is
part Of it, Other movements to mobilize
the feminine vote in tho interest of one
party or another arc n(oot everywhere.
Despite aIl this the women voters of
tho country are but loosely organized
if, indeed, they may hc said TO he organ
lied at all Thcy are likely to go into
the next prcsidoulul campaign rs free
agents, without guidance aud without
special knowledge. Thcy are n detached
and impondcrabDr laclov
A. homokCcpcrs women have been the
rock and the center Of the oldest and