FIGHT FOR THE VOTE:

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15594, 28 April 1914, Page 9

FIGHT FOR THE VOTE:

UNITED STATES' POSITION. PROGRESS OF MOVEMENT. [from OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] San Francisco, April 1. The women suffragettes have for some months been pegging away at Congress, and at the Administration in Washington, to propose an amendment to the United States Constitution giving the bal lot to women. That their activity has been markedly effective is shown by the fact that in the Senate— as the home of Conservatism —the measure received a vote of 35 ayes to 34 noes. But as a two-thirds affirmative vote is required to propose a constitutional amendment, the measure was lost. The inndent showed, however, that for the first time (in fifty years, " the women of America have made an impression upon the United States Senate," to quote one of the leaders of the suffragette fight in Washington, Mrs. Med ill McCormick, wife of a well-known Chicago newspaper owner. ' President Wilson has been rather sharply criticised for his attitude "towards the demand of women for a vote in national elections. He received a large body of women in deputation and replied to their contentions by stating that it was impossible for him to take any affirmative action in respect to questions of large policy upon which his part, the Democratic Party, had not declared itself. As he is now waging the light of his life in direct opposition to the declaration of the Democratic platform for the exemption of canal tolls, his position in; regard to women suffrage is looked upon as weak. One daily paper pictures him in his private office talking with John Bull very confidentially, waving away an approaching party of women with the remark : " This is my busy day, ladies."

The Lion in the Path. The most formidable lion in the path of the suffragettes' way to the ballot in Federal erections by means of constitutional amendment if the utter impossibility of petting any of the Southern States, with their negro problem, to agree to the national Government meddling in their electoral aTiairs at all. Except for the fifteenth amendment to the Federal constitution, which gives a vote to negroes by declaring that the right of suffrage shall not be denied on account of "race, colour, or previous condition of servitude," the constitution leaves t question of the elective franchise to the discretion of the States. Thus, in some States. women have the right to vote in federal elections. The leaders of the suffragette party, however, conceived the idea of gaining the ballot in all States by a federal amendment. To do this requires the success of the amendment in 36 States. Senator Borah, who is a strong advocate of votes for women, told them in a speech in the Senate that they never could do this, and that in attempting the impossible they had loaded themselves down with inn negro question, the Japanese question, and a 'dozen other States rights problems. Pointing out, what is known to all. that the Southern States, in the face of the constitution, have disfranchised their negroes, lie asked the women: "Do you •suppose for a moment that the States of the South would add 2,000,000 to those whom they must disfranchise? Violation of the law is a bad thing. It is demoralising to (lie negro race to place in the constitution the form of rights that we do not mean that they shall enjoy." He predicted that after 15 years of vain endeavour the women would renew their abandoned request for the ballot before the people of the States.

" Not to be Baulked." But these arguments do not give pause to the women suffragettes, who are just as forceful and as insistent, if not as violent as those of Britain. They believe that if the constitutional amendment were proposed thev could secure its adoption by 36 States." "Gentlemen," said Mrs. Mary Heard, a New York lawyer, to the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives, "vou cannot answer us by shaking in our faces that tatterdemalion of a States' rights scarecrow and then exnect- us not to read the newspapers when von repudiate your platform and violate' express States'' rights in the matter of a presidential primary. You cannot tell us chat the platform will not allow this suffrage discussion because it is silent, but will permit the repeal of the canal tolls exemption, which it. expressly forbids. It is underestimating our resources to suppose that we cannot nut these, facts into the hands of 15,000,000 voters, including over 3,000,000 free women-