Salt Lake Telegram | 1916-12-03 | Page 24 | Gone Are Heckling Days of Congressional Union

I Gone Are Heckling Days Of Congressional Union Result of Recent Election in Suffrage States Favori Favoring Favoring Fa Fa- Fa- Fa vori Wilson Regarded as Hard Blow to Federal Amendment I By LOUIS SEIBOLD I By The Tel Telegram Fp lal Nan en S e I WASHINGTON Dec Dee 2 Leaving Leaving aside the matter of partisan partisan par par- considerations considerations th the members of not only the incoming b but t the present congress unite in the declaration that the results of the recep recent election were highly gratifying in at least one particular It h has s effectively removed suffrage e as a cause of congressional I I I I I I I I I I I I II irritation Hence it Jt is that the time members of both houses will not be thrown into a state tate approaching hysterics by the rustle of a skirt fear to meet militant mill mill- tant advocates face or face or sidestep sidestep sidestep side side- step every time a female of the species species ape ape- cies des arises at a public meeting with blood In her ber eye intent on heckling a candidate As the congressmen interpret the results results' of the election for not onlY presidential but congressional candidates candidates candi dates the Congressional Union for j I Woman Suffrage which had become i iI the bane hane of congressional existence I II was practically put out of business Only two of the twelve states in which women already exercised the franchise were carried by Hughes and the tho Republicans under circumstances that indicated approval of the Congressional Congressional Congressional Con Con- gressional union faction of the suffrage suffrage suffrage suf suf- suf- suf frage cause The union aligned itself squarely with the Republican presidential candidate candidate candidate can can- because of the time supposed advocacy advocacy ad ad- by Hughes of the Susan B B. B Anthony Antimony amendment which proposes to confer conCer by constitutional amendment amendment amend amend- ment went the right of equal suffrage Raised Funds for Hughes To all intents and purposes purposes' the I union became an auxiliary of the Republican Republican Re Re- publican partisan program The promoters promoters pro pro- of or it at the head of which ne-I ne is Mrs O. O H. H P. P Belmont facetiously referred to as the Mark Hanna of suffrage suf suf- suffrage frage and the meal ticket of the Anthony Anthony Anthony An An- thony amendment not only raised a a large sum of money in excess of to aid the cause but invented the golden special and sent it out West in the face of protests of the themore themore more experienced of the Republican I leaders I IThe The golden solden special will live a along along long time in suffrage tradition Republican Republican Republican Re Re- I publican leaders credit it with having lost more votes for Hughes than any other influence except that perhaps I contributed contribute by Col Theodore Roose Roose- velt Projected in presumably good faith the women of the East without without without with with- out a vote who set out to impress their sisters of the West Vest who have havethe havethe havethe the vote with the necessity of electing electing elect elect- ing Hug Hughes es have completely complete complete- ly failed in iii their purpose Instead of arousing sympathy and enthusiasm the sables and diamonds with which some som of the Hughes ettes de decked ked themselves provoked antagonism antagonism an an- and envy instead of admiration admiration admira admira- tion and co Their propaganda propaganda ganda was almost entirely confined to exploiting the prospective benefits I that would accrue to the advocates i of ot suffrage through national legisla legisla- J tio to denouncing EE President id I n Wil 1 son son Lesson Leson In the Returns Yet time the final returns from the election elec tion show that President Wilson carried carried carried car car- ried the states of Washington California Califor Califor- nia Idaho Montana i Wyom Jg g Colorado Colorado Colorado Colo Colo- rado Kansas New Mexico Arizona and Nevada with a total of six fifty electoral votes while Hughes carried only Illinois and Oregon with witha a total of thirtyfour thirty electoral votes The lesson of ot this result as read by bythe bythe the Ule Democratic leaders is that President President President dent Wilsons Wilson's peace policy proved more potential as a vote gatherer than Hughes' Hughes alleged advocacy of the fed fel- federal eral cral amendment to the As S a matter of fact Hughes at no notime notime notime time openly advocated anything of the kind With legal adroitness he expressed himself in favor of ot woman suffrage in a broad sense His Hia declaration declaration declaration decla decla- ration however was immediately cons construed construed con con- s rued by the prom promoters of the Congressional Congressional Congressional Con Con- gressional Union for Woman Suffrage as indicating his approval of the I method favored by them Consequently Consequent- Consequent ly by the unionists made Hughes' Hughes fight I their fight tight and when he be lost they lost The union fought for the federal fed eral crab amendment alone The president of the Congressional union is Miss lice Alice e Paul although the ruling spirit of f It is Mrs 1 Belmont Miss Amiss Paul who h has s hunger struck in Great Britain the lives of American and who made nade statesmen unpleasant in many respects respects re re- I outlined and nd directed the campaign campaign cam cam- cam I of the union I Other Faction for Wilson On the other hand band the National 11 Woman oman Oman Suffrage e association of which I Mrs 1 Carrie Canie Chapman Catt is president president dent projected a campaign free from partisanship Its promoters and field I forces worked for both state and federal federal federal fed fed- eral suffrage amendments but did cUd not make a party issue of ot either Most of the women of the National association individually worked for President Wilson Wilson Wil YU son and urged his re Tho The biggest plum that ever ever has fallen into the lap of ot the suffragists come ramo in the election to con congress ress of Miss Jeannette Rankin Hankin of Montana She is the first woman ever elected to the national legislature She has been one of the most ardent advocates of of suffrage e in the country for years but has expressed alto aUe sympathy with the methods of tho the Congressional union She is credited with having done a great deal to influence the I Adoption by legislatures of amend amend- amendments ments meats to state constitutions which I have opened to the women the way to the ballot box I The promoters of the union have little reason to expect very much assistance assistance as as- from the tho first congresswoman congress congress- woman If It congress can be induced to pass vass a federal amendment Miss Rankin will not oppose It but it is the understanding of her friends in Washington that she prefers the state method and will not In any event lend her Influence to the promotion of a partisan campaign May Gain Six More States There are suffrage amendments amendments' i pending In seventeen stat states s at the they present time including New York The outlook seems to be pretty favorable favorable favor favor- favorable able to the adoption of these amendments amendments amend amend- ments In at least six states within the next year or two whereas there is certain to be a much more vigorous vigor vigor- ous opposition in congress because of the results of the recent election to the federal amendment proposal than I at any time In the last dozen years The federal amendment was drafted I by Susan B. B Anthony in 1875 1876 It was first Introduced in congress by Senator Senator Sena Sena- tor tar Sargent of California three years j later and was reported to the sonata for consideration consideration without enda- enda tion In 1887 the senate voted 4 to 16 against it and two years ago while it obtained a majority of ot one it failed by eleven votes to obtain the necessary necessary necessary sary two On but one occasion i did the amendment ever come to vote I in the house of representatives That was on January 12 1915 1916 when the I vote was ayes and noes To have been adopted a the amendment amendment I needed 52 52 votes The Congressional union will 1111 of course resume its fight for the time Anthony An An- Anthony thony amendment in not only the present congress but jn to the one which I was recently elected As a matter of or i iI I fact the fI fight already has hag been opened i iby I I by the district chairmen in some of of the Western states but it is reported I that congressmen appear to be entirely en indifferent to the arguments made by the time unionists Leaders in j I both parties appear to be convinced that the dominant sentiment of ot the country favors the amendment o of state Elate constitutions rather than the I federal document With this conviction conviction tion in mind It Is probable that there I will be less agitation in either branch i of the national legislative body than for several years past I