Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-08-19
MRS, Gait TELLS OF FIGHT.

New York. Aug. 1S.--Leaders of the
women's suffrage movement are reIoic-
ing over the adoption of the suffrage
amendment. The sentiments OF many
of them were expressed by Mrs. Carrie
Chapman Gait, president OF the Ma
tional American Woman Suffrage Asso-
citation, who said in a prepared state
ment:
"Our mothers began il. So II came on
TO us as, in way, sacred trust. Ana
a great part of our rejoicing today IN the
hour of victory is compounded OF our
feeling of loyalty to the past and our
satisfaction that we have stood faithful
to its trust.
at was 81 years ago that the women
of the National Suffrage Association be-
gan what was to be 50-year long cam
paign 10 get the Congress of the United
States to pass Federal suffrage amend
ment. Congress had been importuned
for the amendment by the women even
before that, but 1860 marked the organi-
zation of the National" with the avowed
purpose of securing suffrage by national
legislation.
''From that day until June 4, 1919,
the maintenance of Congressional
lobby in Washington to work for Fed
eral suffrage was part of the program OF
the National Suffrage Association. 1t
meant keeping up an unbroken chain ot
lobby work at Washington for over hall
a century.
BEFORE % CONGRESSES.
"It was in 1878 that the amendment
was presented TO the Forty-fifth Con-
gress by the National in the form in
which it was finally passed. Twenty-Five
Congresses were to have a chance at 1T
in that identical form. Before % Con-
crosses the women of the National were
to stand and plead for justice. OF those
% Congresses the Republicans dominated
both branches in ii and the Democrats
in four, while in seven the House was
Democratic and the Senate was Republl-
can. In this revelation of well-divlded,
long-continued opposition lies, perhaps,
the explanation of why women smile
somewhat oynically today at all party
claims to a monopoly of merit in forward
ing the suffrage program. Never was a
Measure so acknowledgement; never
one whose progress was so vehemently
disputed inch by inch.
"As with its passage so with the ratlh.
cation. Delay and obstacles have beer
the constant portion of the National Suf'
frage Association in securing the needed
SO States. Because of the failure OF th'
Sixty-ffth Congress to pass the amend
ment the measure had to 60 to the STATE
Legislatures in an off year. Only II
States could ratify in regular session
Twenty-six special sessions have had 3
be called to secure the full complemen
of ratification. To get these special ses
sions called has been in itself monu
mental work for the National Suf1rag
Association, necessitating an interminabi
chain OF letters, kilograms and specis
personal emissaries.
Now, that il is all over, the feeling c
'ceaselessness' is probably the sensatio
uppermost with us all. And perhaps il
just as we'll that il should be, for wome
cannot stop. The National cannot stoT
With a new purpose, the purpose {
making the vote register for an improve
citizenship, the women of the National AT
already lined up under a new name, IN
League Of Women Voters"
The Smithsonian Institution will estat
Ish solar observing station in Egypt.