Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-02-19

IdlIlltdlloil 10 ny no HlSdIlS assured.
The thirty-one states already
won have in practically every in
stance demanded q campaign upon
the governor or legislature. The
possibility is that after these vic
tories We may be blocked by the
last two states as we were blocked
by two votes in the senate.
Ratification could easily be ac-
eomplished if political leaders
exert the needed influence. Unnec-
essary delays are creating the sus-
picion that politicians desire to ex-
clude the uncertain element of the
women's vote in the next cam
paign.
women are keenly alive to what
each party is doing and are pre-
pared to hold responsible any group
that attempts to postpone ratifica-
ton until too late for them to take
part in the election of the next pres
ident and congress"
Leaders of the national woman's
party who have been campaigning
throughout the country since be-
fore the amendment passed con-
gress say that women may yet be
deprived of vote in the 1929 cleo
tons by the lack of two states UNI
less political leaders insist on set
Element of this issue.
Thirty-one notifications have now
been secured.
If suffragists are to vote in 1920,
five extra states must ratify before
May /, the first date for registra-
ton for the elections.
ON the asset side of the suffrage
ledger, national woman's party
leaders place Oklahoma, where the
governor will probably call a spe-
cial session soon. The womans
party is actively campaigning in
Delaware, where the legislature is
friendly but the governor has re-
fused to call a special session for
fear of other legislation. His oppo-
sition is expected to collapse in the
near future. In Maryland also, the
woman's party has conducted a
campaign for the last six months.
Headquarters have been main
tanned at Annapolis since the open
ing of the regular session in Janu-
airy and organizers throughoutout
the state are interviewing members
of the legislature. But the legisla-
ture there defeated ratification.
Washington is the only fun SUI
frage state except Oklahoma, which
has not yet acted. West Virginia,
Vermont and Connecticut are all
held by the suffragists as hopeful
since the legislatures will ratify II
special sessions can be secured. The
governor of West Virginia is delay
ing in the hope of combining suf-
frage with another separate special
session which will be necessitated
when a decision is handed down by
the supreme court in pending
public utilities case. In Vermont
and Connecticut, the governors are
anti-suffrage but may be prevailed
upon to follow the will of their par
ties
Because of the Ohio test case
now before the supreme court on
the question of the legality of the
provision in the Ohio constitution
calling for a referendum on consti-
tutional amendments, 1t may be
necessary to win a thirty seventh
state before ratification can be con-
sidered assured. If referendum is
declared Illegal in Ohio. it will be
illegal in all states. If declared pos
sible in Ohio, it might still be ille-
gal in other states since only in the
Ohio constitution is the referendum
provision directly applied to consti-
tutional amendments. ..
The republican party, suffragists
point out, is IN a position to bring
the number of notifications 20 thlr-
ty-six, since the governors of WASH
ing, Vermont, Connecticut and Del
aware are republican. In their ac-
ton lies the hope of fulfilling the
prophecy of Susan B. Anthony that
American women would vote IN
1920.