The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-04-05
.WOMEh'S
SCORN MAY
] TURN VOTE
s lticians Have an Eye on
! lelaware as Possibly De-
Gliding Who Gets
Support.
FOUR OTHER STATES
FOUR OTHER STATES
II Delaware Rejects Project There
are Still Other Chances in
Democratic Line
Up.

i[By Harold D. Jacobs, United Press
Staff Correspondent
| NEW YORK, April 5.--While poll
ticians had one eye on tho Michigan
presidential primaries today, the other
! was on the suffrage situation in Del
aware.
| Though entirely unrelated, the ac-
tions of both states were regarded as
of equal importance. The vote IN
Michigan was expected to give the
first comprehensive comparison of the
ipresent strength of the leading presl-
Dental candidates in both major par
ties. The final vote on the federal
suffrage amendment in the Delaware
Legislature expected this week-was
Il accepted as deciding two things; A'se
Whether, as the 36th and decid-
ing state elaware will increase the
women's vote from the present l7,O0O.-
| 900 under state suffrage) to nearly
! 27 100000 (under federal suffrage)
Whether Delaware, normally q
republican state, will run the possible
risk of incurring for the national par
! ty,. the enmity of women in voting
states or make bid for their favor
by ratification. -..-s
The national leaders of both parties
! have long been awake to the impoF-
! tance of keeping in the good graces
of the enfranchised women by fairly
outdoing the women themselves in
working for enactment Of the equal
suffrage amendment. In most states
they have been successful, but IN
others they have encountered difficult
ties, either through open opposition to
the amendment or through collision
with local factional politics.
When the women succeeded in in
ducing the recent republican state
convention in Connecticut to adopt
resolution endorsing suffrage and re-
questing Governor Holcomb to call
special session of the Legislature to
ratify the amendment they took the
attitude expressed by one of their
number as follows:
ut is now up to the republican par
ty. IF the governor Will call an ex-
traordinary session and the legislature
ratifes the amendment we will see
that the party gets proper credit and
our sisters in other states can be
counted upon to show their apprecia-
tion in tangible form II the COVER
nor refuses-well. the republicans
must accept the responsibility and the
consequences. 80
Holcolb refused to summon the leg
islature, explaining such action to "an
emergency" and that mo emergency
existed. The suffrage leaders are
still bringing all possible pressure to
bear on him, but obviously have aban-
doned hope:
The legislature of Mississippi,
democratic state, later defeated the
amendment While the women Of
Mississippi did not duplicate the
threats of the Connecticut suffragists,
applying them to the democratic party,
it was assumed by political observers
that this had cancelled any possible
effect on the republicans of Connect
cuts negative action.
The Delaware legislature is now in
special session, summoned by Cover
nor Townsend, an ardent suffragist.
In a test of strength last week the
amendment was defeated in the lower
house. Alfred T.. Dupont. acknowl
edged leader of the anti-sufragists in
the legislature. has since declared in
favor Of ratification. This has led
the women to forecast a victory in
the upper house this week and in the
lower house when it is subsequently
re-submitted to that body.
In the event Delaware finally rejects
the amendment there remain four
democratic states-Louisiana, Florida,
North Carolina and Tennessee-and
one republican-vermont. Florida
and Tennessee cannot act until after
an election. The latter already has
state suffrage. Women are voting in
the Michigan primaries today and will
vote.
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