Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1920-01-19
STATE SUFFRAGISTS
OPEN THEIR DRIVE
League Sends Out Letter Plead
ing Cause. To Every Mem
Der Of Legislature
ATTACK ANTS METHODS

/ The woman Suffrage League has
sent the following letter. signed II
Mrs. William Mines Maloy. 10 cvery
menter OF the Maryland Legislature:
Recently there appeared in the
news columns OF a Baltimore paper
an open letter addressed to the Legis-
lators OF Maryland by the Association
Opposed 10 Woman Suffrage. Suf-
lfragists in a paid advertisement OF
Saturday. January 10. pointed out
that this letter was full OF misstate-
ments. The letter shows plainly thai
the same. tactics which have been en-
ployed in other States where unsuc-
cessful attempts have leen made TO
hold hack ratification of the Federal
Woman Suffrage amendment, are 60
ing to be used in Maryland by lis op-
ponents.
The Federal Suffrage amendment
was passed by Congress on June 4,
1919. The ratification campaign
opened with tremendous momentum
Special session has followed special
! session for ratification purposes
Every Maryiander, for suffrage or
against it, win agree that it is Of the
utmost Importance that the decision
1of the General Assembly of Maryland
on this question be made with full
understanding OF it's merits.
in Maryland, as in each Southern
State where this question has been
before the Legislature. Legislature
and press rs going TO lie flooded with
anti-suffrage literature of a bitterly
personal, acutely sectional, viciously
unfair character Every sectional
prejudice every local problem will
e traded on. Truth viii lie distort-
ed Suffrage leaders, local and ma J
tional, will he personally defameds
/ Their words will be misquoted.
I'VE know this because it is the
kind Of publicity that the opposition
everywhere INDUCES in. SO shock
ing has Teen the character OF Its pub
licity that the lower house of the Leg
islature of one Southern State last
spring passed a resolution condemn
\ ing ii as cheapening and traducing all
womanhood 1t was in May that the
memt ership of the House of the Leg
islature OF Texas went on record as
condemning the circulation Of this
character of literature, the like CT
which was placed upon our desks to-
day.
With the personal attacks made by
the anti-suffrag ists we are not con-
cerned Our business is to present
the argument for the democratic
principle OF suffrage and for the rati-
fcation OF the Federal Suffrage
Amendment as an economical expedi-
cnt for applying that principle.
IN the interest of fair play we
ask the press OF this State to open
It's columns to the suffrage side Of
the case and we ask the people to
follow the suffrage question in general.
and the ratification question in par
ticular. with that regard for justice
and truth that has distinguished the
highest Ideals of our State in the
past. We televe that the General
Assembly of Maryland will ratify the
Federal Suffrage Amendment because
/ tho memi ers of that tody Will rea
lie thai the principle OF justice in
herent in it must rise superior to dis
.inctons letween State and Federal
sovereignty.
I'VE believe, too. that Marylands
representatives will realize the injus-
tice of having the woman electorate
OF America irregularly placed about
he country as il is today. Women
arc voting in the West They are vot-
ing in The Central States They are
voting in tie Southwest and in the
Northwest. They are voting in New
York. They arc voting in Maine and
in Rhode Island
What IS the mater with the
Southern women, including those Of
Maryland. that they should lie ex-
cluded?
The South will find. as the Ma
t:onal American Woman Suffrage As
sociation has found. but one answer
to the question There is nothing the
matter with Southern women. Their
political acumen. their wit, their
beauty. their enthusiasm. enliven
and strengthen every gathering in the
land They are to be counted among
the most ardent supporters of the
Federal Suffrage Amendment Their
reasons for that support, together
with the reasons of representative
Southern men, form the basis of Our
presentation of the suffrage case, for
which we earnestly ask your unpreju-
diced attention"