Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-02-26
WILL WOMEN GET To
VOTE FOR PRESIDENT
Four More States Needed for
Ratification Of Amendment in
Time for Nov. Election.

VIII the Susan b. Anthony amend
ment to the Federal Constitution, remov-
ing the sex bar to right of suffrage, be
ratified in time to allow the women Of the
entire country to participate in theNovem-
Der elections, when President, thirty
two United States Senators and the entire
House of Representatives are To be
elected, as well as State and county
officials IN majority of the StatesY
This is n question that is giving the
women Of the country more concern Just
now than anything else, and they are oi
the opinion that it is one Of such import
ance that it belongs on the first page Of
the dailies, even to the exclusion of the
League of Nations, the coming national
conventions of the Democratic and
Republican parties, the Hoover candi-
dacy, the high cost Of living and what not
Thirty-two states have ratified the
amendment up to date, the action OF
New Mexico in the affirmative n few days
ago making the thirty-second. -Four
more are needed-and needed badly
and desperate efforts are being put forth
by the National Equal Suffrage Asso-
citation and their State branches TO get
the necessary four.
At best they can win by but n narrow
margin. Favorable action that would
enable the women to participate IN the
elections everywhere this wear seems TO
hinge on the governors Of five States, and
every influence Is being exerted by the
Sutfragists To win at least four of them.
Every force is being oxerted. too. from
within their parties, for each side would
like 10 go 10 the polls next November
with n special claim TO tho femme vote,
provided women are qualified 10 vote
by that time The Governors are: John
G. Townsend, Jr., of Delaware, Republic
can; ]. Il. A. Robinson of Oklahoma,
Democrat; Horace + Graham Of Vermont
Republican, and LOUIS +. Hart of Wash
ington, Republican. The legislatures Of
West Virginia and Oklahoma have bern
called in special session and arc expected
TO ratify.
Local conditions and considerations
have deferred the governors Of Washing
ton and Delaware from calling their
legislatures into special session. Gov
ernor Townsend is known to be in favor
of suffrage. and sufTraglsts claim that
poll Of the members Of the legislature
shows favorable TO the amendment, but
the uncertainty TO what might bc done
in matters of legislation generally, has
deferred the governor of Delaware from
acting So far.
The governor of Washington favors
the amendment, and the ma orlty of the
legislators favor IL is said. but conditions
there are said 20 be somewhat similar
to those in Delaware The governor can
not limit the action Of the legislator once
il is in session, and has hesitated to take
action. However, he has given assurance
that II that State is needed 10 make up
the necessary three-fourths, he will take
a chance and convene the legislators.
Washington women already have the
suffrage under the State constitution.
The Tennessee legislators are said TO he
in favor OF ratification, but as they already
have Presidential suffrage under the
action Of the Last legislature. Governor
Roberts has declined 10 call special
session. The regular session convcncs in
January, 1921 The Governor of Florida
favors the ratification, but It rs said the
State constitution requires that an
election shall intervene between the sub
mission of an amendment and the voting
Of tho Legislature on it. The Florida
legislature convenos in regular session
in January, 1921.
With West Virginia and Oklahoma
legislatures in session and expected 10
ratify, that leaves two more States needed.
these. That will leave one. and this one
must be either Delaware, Connecticut or
Vermont. The situation in Delaware has
been stated
Governor Graham of Vermont is. OPP
posed 70 womans suffrage, and up 20
this time all efforts 10 get him 10 call
the Legislature of Vermont in special
sessions have failed, but he is not con-
sidered so uneompromislng in his atti-
tude toward womans suffrage as Cow
ernor Holcomb of Connecticut. A poll
of the members of the Legislatures Of
the two States shows they will ratify if
they have chance, the sufiragists as
sert Thus upon one or the other Of
these Governors the whole question of
whether women shall vote in the coming
election may converge If
by elimination of the other three grand
CLIMAX is reached.