The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1920-09-03
WASHINGTON LETTER.
20 REPUBLICAN STATES
VOTED FOR SUFFRAGE
Record Almost Unanimous in Favor
of Reform Urged by Senator
Harding.


Harding.
Washington. - Whatever may be
the outcome of the balloting on the
suffrage amendment in any of the
Southern legislatures convened in ex-
ira session, it is conceded here that
all of the glory of effort to give wo-
men the vote is due the Republican
party.
The first and foremost fact in this
contention is that the Republican
House and Senate put through the re-
solution making possible the submis-
sion of the amendment to the several
States. In the House 204 votes were
recorded for it and 18 against. In
other words, the Republicans of the
House of Representative stood IL
to one for woman suffrage. Forty
four of the Democratic votes recorded
for it in the House came from Repub-
lican States.
Thirty-six states are necessary to
ratify Thirty-five have already signi-
fled their consent. Of these, twenty
nine are Republican. Eight of these
twenty-nine did not have a single in
dividual vote against the amendment
in either House of the Legislature.
Six Democratic States have ratified
the amendment and six have voted
against it.
The determination of the South,
controlled by the Democratic party,
to prevent ratification was seen in the
fight for the amendment in Tennes-
see. There it passed the Senate, but
failed in the House. This after
message from sixty-three members of
the lower house of North Carolina,
urging their Democratic brethren in
another State to defeat it. And this
after a committee had been sent by
the Democratic legislature of Mary
land to use every means of persuasion
| to keep the women from the vote.
That the message of Governor Cox to
the Tennessee legislature was pure
camoufage is proven by the vote of
majority of members of the lower
house in opposition.
The women of the country, with
out regard to race or color, are GER
tain of getting the right to the suf-
frage as soon as the legislature of
either Vermont or Connecticut meets.
Both are Republican. Both will re-
elect Republican majorities in Novem-
ber. Both are prevented from meet
ing in extraordinary session by gov
ernors who have scruples about call
ing an extra session for this sole pur-
pose at the expense of the taxpayer,
in view of the fact that the reform
will be granted as soon as the State
! legislators meet in regular session.
But both will meet within the next
| few months and both will Immediately
ratify. Thus, no Southern Demo-
cratic State being likely to endorse
the amendment in the meantime, the
Ithirty-sixth State will be a Republican
commonwealth and thirty of the
thirty-six ratifying States will be Re-
publican to six Democratic.
Republican leaders, as another in
dication of their interest in the well
fare of the women, point to the fact
that it was the Republican majority in
Congress that put through the meas
ure making permanent the Women's
bureau in the Department Of Labor.
This bureau investigates the condi-
tions and wages of employment of
women in industry in the United
States and has provided the basis
for future legislation for better
ment.
Senator Harding supported this
measure, just as he supported the suf-
frage amendment when his vote was
needed in the Senate. He did every
thing in his power to urge the
amendment upon the Tennessee So
Ions. While Cox also urged the same
action, the women at national suf-
frage headquarters here declare that
the Democratic legislature failed in
Tennessee and that the whole record
in the suffrage fight has been made
with the friendly support of such
leaders as Chairman Simeon d. Fess,
of the Republican Congressional Com
mittee; Chairman Will Hays, OF the
Republican National Committee, and
Senator Harding, the Republican
candidate.