The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-03-13
LATE WASHINGTON
NEWS GOSSIP
Charles Brooks Smith

WASHINGTON, d. O., March 10
m the Senate there was introduced to-
day two special pension bills by sena.
Tor Elkins providing for increases ~,
pne for Otto II. Micnaelson, Charles
ION, SIS month, and the other for
Jarrett ii. Hill, Of Ward, w. Va, for
the same amount.
The Post office Department has
commits STONED the following named
West Virginians as postmasters,
fourth class, at the offices named:
Margaret O. Fairy at Eastbank, Kama.
VIVA County; James e. Silzinger at Err
win; Edward Tyree at Kirkwood, Mich
Dlas County. and William /. Lane at
Shrewsbury, Kanawha County.
Now what? The West Virginia
party leaders In the Capital, especial
iy the leaders Of the Grand Old Party,
are plainly confused and frankly ad-
nit that they don't know what Is 60,
ring to happen as a result of the ratifi-
cation Of the Federal suffrage amend
ment by the Legislature at Charles
ton. 1t appears clearly enough that
2 feeling of depression has a half-Nel-
son hold ON them. Working with great
Energy, but with no enthusiasm to put
over ratification, they had bad at
tack of the glooms. They thought It
politically expedient to do as they did,
but now they are Gliding themselves
--was Il?
Their Individual opinions are so var
ious that 1t would be impossible to
card-index them. Some are so dis
consulate as to wall that all Is lost.
Others take a slightly less melancholy
view Of 1t. They are inclined to hope
for the best, while believing that the
worst is yet to come. Then there are
k-the 1t is always darkest before the
dawn boys, and little remant OF the
Optimist Club that have continued to
pay UP their dues since the town and
the country went dry. Altogether,
they are ina blue funk and are SILVER
ing with panic, with nary nip In the
cellar nor the sideboard to cheer them
on to aimore roseate view OF the party
future.
It tsnotsso much the age-old PROPOSE
ton OF not being able to fortell what
a woman will ortmay do, which is fun
damentally at the bottom Of 1t, SO
much as 1t is how the male voters in
West Virginia are going to take this
thing In this year OF our Lord. For
the present their reliance rests upoE
the hope that when the erstwhiie lords
of creation in the state cool off, they
will take 1T like good sports and re-
solve to make the hest Of 1t. 1t would
be contfawise to the American way, Il
is urged IL they didn't It'sa all in the
4 game Of politics: development and
progress. The thing to do, the leaders
are connecting, is to give the back to
the past and get busy to line the We
men Of the state up In the party, one
and the other; the ratification fight at
Charleston is water gone over the
wheel.
The fight that developed at Charles.
ton gave the leaders of both parties
the surprise Of their politically sophis-
Heated lives They hadn't the faint
. est idea OF such a thing happening. The
big leaders in both parties favored ra.
tification. The national organization
! Of both parties favored 1t. With the
powerful adership in the Republican
and Democratic organizations for It,
} opposition sentiment was expected not
to put IN an appearance at Charleston
! In much consequence and what did
/, would lack both leadership and organ
ization, The leaders for ratification
(. claimed that they were assured Of
: enough votes to put the amendment
( over the top With zip, and acting
+: upon that assurance from them. Gov.
Cornwell shot forth This. call for 1.-THE
! extra session.
! What happened is too recent history
to narfate, and what furnished the big
leaders of the parties one big sur
prise. They were amazed at the close.
ness Of the lineup for and against.
with the manifestation OF Organized
opposition that convinced them that
Z they had misjudged tho, degree in
which sentiment had undergone a
I charge on the question since the men
voters Of the state repudiated votes for
women by $4,000 majority in 1916. The
proof shown to hem was that there
had been no such q change in strictly
male sentiment as they had been lead
TO believe. There was no disposition
+. TO step aside and let the amendment
be ratified without flight on the
theory that votes for women were In,
ey1table anyway and would. come in
due time, 30 why not gracefully and
chtyalrously and politely bow to the
inevitable, and move to make It unani.
\ nous? That there would be such a
generous disposition on the part Of the
position the party leaders, in afi,
vance Of the session, had honestly be.
lieyed. Their ouija board had tricked
them. The spirits OF the departed are
evidently not up to the newest doc.
trine OF political economy - govern.
rnent by minorities CIabor unions. wo.
mems suhragists and the Anti.saloon
Leaguel. n ~
The adyices received here from the
state are 20 the effect that the greatest
mntiny aboard the yacht is south .of
the Little Kanawha, and the further
south YOU go; the: worst il beeomerJ
The Black Belt, IL reports from there,
are to be believed, is in a white fame
That IS to say, the colored brethren
and sisters are discreetly uncommunis
cative and und emotstratiye. srhe paiei
faces are doing the war dancing. res
q wild night on that reservation. The.
air is filied With tomahawlss. threata.
and tmprecations. y
The National Capital was the base
headquarters OF tho ratificasionists at;
Charleston: The fight there held its
place squarely in thespotiight here for:
a week. Nothing THAT the White
Houno mr0fo ,l,otff noe 81. esz.-.57