Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-03-23
Senator Ball and Representative Layton, Up From Wash
mgton to Urge Ratification, Started Work Early, But
Evidently Are Not Pleased With Prospect, and Are
Striving Vigorously to Stem the Adverse Current
CONFERENCES FAILED TO PRODUCE RESULTS
Special Efforts Directed Against Senator Handy Who Does
Not Favor Votes for Women, and State Senator James
F. Alice, Jr, Of Dover, is Said to be "Wobblng on
Ratification
JUDGE GRAY APPEALS
FOR A REFERENDUM
Writes Strong Letter to Chairman
of Anti Suffrage Meeting to
be Held at Dover.
Special Dispath From staff Correspondent
State House, Dover March %.

Special Dispath From staff Correspondent
State House, Dover March 23.
Being unable to accept an invitation OF
the anti-suffragists to attend the proposed
public meeting on the question here on
Thursday. Judge Gray has sent the fol-
lowing letter to the local committee:
Wilmington. Del, March %, 1920.
Daniel NJ. Ridgely, Esq, Dover, Del.
NV dear Mr.. Ridgely: ! have received
the kind invitation of yourself and friends
to address a meeting of citizens OF Kent
county on the subject of the ratification OF
the Suffrage Amendment to the Constltu-
tion OF the United States, and regret that
it Will he impossible for me TO comply with
your request.
at is a subject upon which | feel deeply
and | would be glad 10 avail myself, II
could, of the opportunity OF such meet
ing. to exprC IS to my fellow citizens my
convictions as to :hc impollcy, not TO say
the revolutionary character. OF the de-
mand made by some of our ardent woman
snffragists. that our. Legislature, at this
extraordinary session, should pass upon
the ratification of the amendment; a
Legislature that has received no mandate
from the people on the subject, and whose
favorable action on the amendment
would. as we believe, hc contrary 10 the
sentiment Of a majority OF our people
But. be this as it NAV, it could never
have been the intention Of the trainers Of
our Fedora Constitution that such a
momentous change as this touching so
nearly the social conditions and political
/ life OF the peoples of the several States,
! should be brought about without some
/ expression Of the popular will IN that
regard
! In the provision of the Constitution
/ requiring a ratification by the Legislature
of three-fourths OF the States, IN order
to adopt an amendment proposed by
Congress, there was certainly q strong
implication that such Legislatures should
be elected with that issue in view The
spirit of our Democratic institutions for
bids any other conclusions. The constItu-
ton itself was submitted for ratification
to conventions, especially elected by the
people of the several States for that
! purpose The States that have already,
/ in the association of their rights to
severely govern their own electorate,
granted suffrage to women, did SO in
every case by directly consulting the
popular will Is it too much for US,
then. to ask, that in considering the ratih-
cation of an amendment to the Federal
Constitution which VIII impose suffrage
upon all the States, without regard to the
dissident public opinion Of any, Leglsla-
ture that has received no mandate from
the people, directly or indirectly, in this
matter, should hand over to the sue
ceeding Legislature, which will have
received some instructions in this respect,
I the decision of this important question
or that it should at least provide for some
sort of referendum upon which it can
act?
Hoping that our friends. whether IN
/ favor of or opposed to woman suffrage
. will acouiesce in the fairness and propriety
of this suggestion, / remain, very truly
YOURS. George Gray.