Evening journal., 1920-03-20
women Would
PURIFY POLITICS
Mrs. Gait Pleased With Della
ware Visit and Predicts
Ratification
ADDRESSED LARGE
MEETING AT DOVER
Snecial IN The Evening journal.

Special 10 The Evening Journal.
DOVER Del. March 20-"l go away
pleased with the sentiment for ratiflca-
ton. and confident the Delaware legls-
lature will act fayorably." declared
Mrs. Carrie Chapman Gait, the Equal
Suffrage leader. before leaving Dover
yesterday. my basis for this belief Is
the reports Of the women from all parts
OF the State. who have come to my two
meetings in Wilmington and Dover. For
I very strongly believe IN States rights
TO this extent that the people OF the
State should manage their own rati0ca-
ton.
Il came al the Invitation OF the Del
aware Equal Suffrage Association for
these two meetings only. and have not
talked with the legislators. That is
the business OF the Delaware men and
women. The people OF the State are
for It and / believe the legislature will
respond.
The luncheon at the Hotel Richard
son yesterday was attended by about
25O persons. Everett c. Johnson. Secre-
tary OF State, presided. He said
Governor Townsend had asked him 10
give to the audience his pledge that
from now until the legislature acts his
aid will be given to the suffrage cause.
Mrs. John p. Cranston. Of Newport,
honorary president OF the Delaware
Equal Suffrage Association. said women
OF the State were tired OF doing patch
work and they came up against a stone
will without the vote.
Notwithstanding The extremely in
element weather yesterday afternoon at
The hour for the public meeting in the
| Opera House by the Equ7l Suffrage
Association, al which Mrs. Gait was
the speaker. fully 400 people occupied
seats In the House. Members OF the
State Executive Committee OF the
! Equal Suffrage Association and other
invited guests on the platform. as well
as quite a few anti-sunfraglsis were In
the audience. The meeting was OPEN
ed by Mrs. Henry Ridgely Of Dover,
president OF the Delaware branch OF
the Equal Suffrage Association.
After a few brief remarks she intro
duced Mrs. Robert G. Houston, OF
| Georgetown. as the presiding officer OF
The meeting. Mrs Houston. in taking
the chair, embrasized the fact that sne
was from GEORGETOWN. Sussex county.
! Delaware. evidently desiring to impress
on the aud 'ence that notwithstanding
the uproar and confusion which took
place at Georgetown, a few days ago.
when the suffrage people were given
. rather a cool reception. that there still
4 remained In Georgetown and in Sussex
, county staunch advocates OF suffrage.
| Mrs. Houston recalled her attempt %
years ago, when Delaware's last con-
stitutional convention was IN session in
Dover. OF being one with Mrs. Carrie
Chapman Gait and three or four others
TO appear before that convention urg-
Ing that In the framing OF the new con-
stiiution there should be a clause equal
izing suffrage and concluded by stating
that the attempt to secure suffrage for
Delaware women would be kept up for
% years longer. II necessary.
Mrs Houston presented Mrs. Gait the
entire audience rising as she stepped 10
: the platform.
i Mrs Gait emphasized the new order
OF things In the country and world and
pointed out The necessity Of women
voting In order 10 aid In the now ar
ranFement and government Of affairs.
She argued that the question OF suffrage
was not a State question but a national
! question and that Delaware's Represen-
fatlves in Congress, while voting from
Delaware. voted with other States 10 aid
such States in the making of the ma
tlonal laws. She pleaded for suffrage
on the ground that many foreign coun-
tries already had extended the right OF
suffrage to women and asked would
The State Of Delaware OF the United
States, decline 10 grant the same prlvi-
lege 10 its women She ridiculed the
slogan Of the anti-suffragists displayed
in Dover. that OF politics bad for women
and women bad for politics. contending
that II politics had been made bad by
. the men that women would purify them
and make them better.
She urged the women OF Delaware
mot to lag one bit back OF other States
or countries, but to press on until the
lone ambition and desire Of the women
was accomplished. that OF The right TO
vote. As to the statement that many
women do not want the ballot, Mrs.
Gait replied that neither do all men ex-
ercise the ballot though they have the
rtvht and privilege, but that the right to
vote should not be denied the women.
I Mrs. Gait closed her address by urg-
ing the ratification Of the amendment
and thus make Delaware foremost as
did Delaware's slgner OF The Declara-
tion OF independence. The prediction
was made that Delaware would ratify
tbo amendment and that In the early
davs OF next weeks special session. .