New-York tribune., 1920-02-14
Women Voters
Hail "Liberty," !"
Launch League
Continued from page l

W
on chair waving her flag.
me hilarity persisted throughou the
afternoon session, bursting forth every
few minutes.
Mrs. Catt's own address was punctu
ated with footing as she referred to the
progress of the ratification of the Fed
eral amendment By the state iegisla-
lures.
Big loot for Arizona
The news that Arizona had ratified
yesterday got great toot, and tumult
broke loose again when she announ ce d
the Governor Of New Mexico had called
special session for Monday and Okla
homa one for February 90. These
probably will be the thirty-second and
thirty-third states to ratify.
The Governors of Delaware and
West Virginia have promised to call
special sessions and the State of Wash
ington, suffrage state, probably will
have to bear the opprohrium of the
women, instead Of their gratitude, for
being the thirty-sixth state
Mrs. Gait laid the blame for the fail
ure Of ratification last year at the door
of Republicans and Democrats alike.
Had it not been that two Republican
Senators-namely Borah, of Idaho, end
Wadsworth, of New York--refused TO
represent their state as indicated by
votes at the polls," she said, "the suf-
frage amendment would have passed the
65th Congress. 1t would have come into
the regular sessions of fortytwo leg
islatures, with more than thirty-six
pledged to ratify and without the cost
Of Extra sessions to any state.
''1f it had not been for two Northern
I1onlnr Son of n rc----nt,Sfo nr,tciAo +to
pale of Southern tradition--namely,
Senator'S Pomerene, Of Ohio. and
Hitchcock, Of Nebraska, who refused to
represent their states as indicated by
their Legislatures. the Democratic Con-
gress. the sixty-ffth, would have sent
the question to the 1919 legislatures
and it would have cost the states
nothing.
II beg of you women to set these
facts before the people Of your states
in case your Governor is criticised for
subjecting his state to the.cost of any
extra session of the Legislature. And
If l catch any of you Republican
women laying the blame on Democrats,
or any of you Democrats laying the
blame on Republicans, shall come
to the rescue of your Governor my
self"
The Democratic women delegates are
much nsensed over the appearance in
the official program of the convention
OF an adve rtisement got up by the Hi
nois Republican State Committee,
which reads:
TO the Republican party you owe
the passage Of the Federal suffrage
amendment, and it will be responsible
for the ratification soon to come. Thirty
one states have ratified. Twenty-four
of these states are Republican,"
The Democratic women, headed by
Mrs. George Bass, chairman of the
women's executive committee Of the
national Democratic party. have issued
statement saying that the Repub-
llcans cannot claim the credit for pass
ing the suffrage amendment, inasmuch
as President Wilson gave it his sup
port. They say they had chance to
put similar advertisement in the con
vention program, but refused on the
ground that the League of Women
Voters is supposed to be neutral a.
egards political party. and therefore ii
was unethical to insert q partisan ad.
vertsement in its program. Mrs
Fletcher Dohyns, ch1irman of the Hi
nois Republicans, says it is all right
inasmuch as the advertising privileges
we're given to both.
Mrs. Gait, in her efforts to keep the
convention equally fair to both parties,
whose officials are hunming like bees
about this great pot of honey-repre-
senting two million women's votes
ordered both parties to hold campaign
dinners at the same hour tonight, and
both from the platform this
She also announced, while the con-
vention Uttered and footed, that Gov
ernor and Mrs. Lowden would give a
tea and reception for the delegates to-
morrow; that Mrs. Bass. of the Demo
cratic committee, would have tea for
all every afternoon during the conven-
tion and that the Republican commit
tee would do likewise.
Il advise you all, on account of the
high cost Of living" she added, "to at
tend all of these functions"
The evening session was devoted to
the details of disbanding the old Ma
tional American Woman Suffrage AS
sociation and handing over It's effects
to trustees to wind up its affairs
Tomorrow the League of Women
Voters, which steps into the shoes of
the old association, will begin its con-
vention. The search for a president
for the league having been unsuccess-
full, it is now planned to adopt COM
mission form Of government for the
league.