Milford chronicle., 1920-03-12
PREDICTS VICTORY
FOR AMENDMENT
SENATOR THOMAS F. GORMLEY OF VIII
MINCTON OPPOSED TO MEASURE,
FORECASTS RATIFICATION.
NEEDS BUT BARE MAJORITY
DOES NOT REQUIRE TWO-THIRDS VOTE
FOR PASSAGE STATE LEGISLATOR
DECLARES In STATEMENT.

Ratification of the suffrage amend
ment at the special session of the
Delaware Legislature which convenes
ON March p was forecasted Monday
night by State Senator Thomas f.
Gormley, radical anti-suffrage advO-
cate in a statement in which he saw
the influence of the Republican Ma
tional Committee being exerted to
controvert activities of President Will
son in behalf of giving women the
vote.
1T is apparent" said the Senator,
that the word has gone out from
Republican national headquarters
that ratification must be accomplish
ed President Wilson's activities
along these lines has resulted in sup
porters of the suffrage movement, de-
manding that the Republican party
show definitely where it stands. In
view Of this nothing short of mir
acle will prevent ratification in Della
ware, as | am not at all optimistic
that any Of the party's representatives
in the House or Senate will kick over
the traces and help its defeat
The assumption that a twOIthirds
vote in the House or Senate was nee
essary to ratify is wrong, according
to Mr.. Gormley, who declared that a
majority in each branch of the Legis-
lature was all that was essential. The
former opinion prevailed among a
number of prominent Republican pol
iticians, being regarded as an OBJ
stacle to the success of the measure.
No change of heart with reference
to the suffrage cause was back of
Senator Gormley's prediction, he max
ing it plain that his antagonism had
by no means subsided. He did say,
however, that he would vote for bill
submitting the question to a vote of
the people of Delaware, and, let their
verdict decide the matter.
Rural Vote Uncertain
There was a feeling of apprehen-
sion among members of the Assem-
bly,, favorable to the measure, as to
its possible fate. The rural districts
were regarded as being an unknown
quantity.
Representative John F. McNabb,
Democrat, stated that he was opposed
to the suffrage amendment, and while
he thought it should be decided by
referendum election, he would never
theless abide by his party's caucus
in the event one was held on the sub
iect. The Democratic State Commit
tee has gone on record as favoring
the support of the measure by Demo-
cratic members of the Legislature, but
political observers says its suggestion
will not carry much weight, as some
are pledged for the amendment,
others are not and still others are
against it,
The bill to ratify will be introduce
ed in the Senate by John M. Walker,
Republican and a similar bill in the /
House by Representative Walter Hart, /
a Democrat, of Townsend.
The anti-suffragists are not idle, /
and as a majority of the legislature /
are unpledged, an effort will be made |
o prevent enactment of the ratifica-
ton bills. In this they will be added |
by Maryland "anti's," according to
a dispatch from Baltimore.
FLUSHED with the success that
the support given by a dele
cation of Maryland legislators to the
anti-suffragists in the West Virginia
legislature, a movement is now afoOt
to send a similar flying squadron to
help the cause in the Delaware leg
stature.
Delegate Daniel c. Joseph, who
was a member of the delegation that
invaded Charleston, said that he
would introduce a resolution in the
General Assembly urging that Mary
land be heard in protest against suf-
frage action in Delaware on the the
Dry that action in Delaware applies to
Maryland just as action in Annapolis
ioes."