Show o O dI I a C x x i Wilson e D mand S Suffrage r V A I I PD J AR UM 1 Personal Plea Is Made t to I Senate in Support of Amendment Reasons Are F Fully Discussed By Associated A Associated Press Prest WASHINGTON W N Sept 30 30 y President Wilson today stepped into the tho I breach o of the senate senate over th the woman woman suffrage resolution solution and and in in 4 n a personal Address In the senate chamber asked t for rits its passage as a war measure The president wt addressed the sen te teas f as as follows Gentlemen of ot the senate rhe The unusual usual circumstances of ot a aw w world war in which we stand and are judged j in the view not only of ot o our put put- iown i- i own people and our oUr own own consciences es but also in the view of ot all nations and peoples will 1 J hope justify in your thought as it does In mine the message mes message sage I have come to bring you I regard the concurrence oj of the senate senate senate sen sen- ate ate- In the constitutional c amendment proposing the extension of ot the Rhe suffrage lg to women as vitally essential to the successful prosecution of oJ the great war of humanity in In which we are engaged d I have come to urge upon you the considerations consIderations considerations con con- which have hav led me to that conclusion If Is not only my privilege it is also to apprise you of every circumstance and element In Involved Involved involved In- In in this this' momentous struggle which seems to me to affect its very process and its Us outcome It is my duty to win the thear var and to ask you to every every obstacle that stands in inthe inthe the Way of ot winning it NO PARTY ISSUE t. t I had assumed that the s senate Aate would concur c In the amendment be because because because be- be cause no disputable principle is involved InVolved In- In but only a question of ot the meth method d by which the suffrage is to tob tobe tobe be b ext extended to t women v women omen There is and can cm can be no party party Issue issue involved in it Both oth of ot our grea parties are I ledged edged explicit pledged to equality ot- ot at- at L suffrage to for the women of ot th the e I i 1 entry try Neither party therefore Its it s seems stems ems to me can ca'n can hesitation asro as fo ro the method method pf obtaining It it can I rightfully to to substitute federal initiative for st st ste tte e initiative if the I early arly adoption pf f this measure is I I necessary to the the f successful prosecution bt t f the war and It If tho the method of ot state action proposed in the party platforms of tf 1916 1910 is Impracticable within any Continued on page 2 2 1 I j. j I l I f 1 4 J J PRESIDENTS PRESIDENT'S PLEA GREAT NEWS FOR SUFFRAGISTS Continued from page 1 reasonable length of time if practical at all And its adoption is in my judgment judgment judg judg- ment clearly ment clearly necessary to the ful prosecution of f the war and the successful successful successful suc suc- realization of the objects for which the war is being fought 1 FRANK STATEMENT That judgment I take the liberty of urging upon you with solemn earnestness earnestness earnest earnest- ness for reasons which I shall state very frankly and which I Sh shill shall ll hope will seem as conclusive to you as they seem to mo me i This is a peoples people's war and the peoples people's peoples people's peo pee ples pIes thinking constitute its atmosphere and morale not the predilections of the drawing room or the political consId orations of the caucus If we be In Indeed Indeed indeed in- in deed Democrats and wish to le lead d the world to democracy we can ask other peoples to accept in proof of our sincerity sincerity sincerity sin sin- and our ability to lead them whither whIther- they wish to be bo led nothing less ess persuasive and convincing than our actions Our professions will not suf suf- fice ice Verification must be forthcoming when verification is asked for And Inthis in inthis n this case verification is asked for for- for asked for in this particular matter VOICE OF WORKERS You ask asle by whom Not through diplomatic channels not by foreign ministers Not ot by the intimations ns of parliaments It is asked for by the anxious expectant suffering peoples I with whom we are dealing and who are are willing to put their destinies in in some soie measure in our hands If they are sure sare that we wish the same things that they doI doI do do I do not speak by conjecture It Is not alone the voices of statesmen and of newspapers that reach me and the voices of foolish and Intemperate agi agi- t a E a c g t f a p a i do not reach me at all Through many many channels I have been made aware ware aware what the plain struggling workaday workaday workday work- work day a-day folk are thinking upon whom the chief hief terror and ng of this tragic war falls They are are looking to the thereat great reat powerful l famous democracy of I the the- West to lead them to the new day for or which they have so long waited think in their logical sm sm- that democracy means that women shall play their part In affairs alongside longside men and upon an equal footing foot font ing ng with them If we reject measures ike this in ignorant defiance of what a i new ago age has has' brought forth of wh what t they have seen but we have t nt they will cease cease to believe in us they thep ther will I cease to follow or to trust us BRITAIN'S PROMISE They havo have seen seen their own governments governments govern govern- ments accept this interpretation of seen democracy democracy seen old governments like that of Great Britain which did not to be democratic promise readily readi- readi ly y Wand dud as of course this thi justice to women though they had before refused it t the strange revelations of this war having laving made many things new and plain to governments as well weli as to peoples Are Ar we alone to refuse to learn th the lesson Are we we alone to ask and take can cart give give give- the utmost utmost that that our women service and sacrifice of ever every kind kind kind- and still say we do not see what title that gives them to stand by our sides I in the guidance of the affairs of their nation and ours We W have made p partner partner part part- rt-I rt ner of the women in this ware warf shall we admit them only tp a partnership of I suffering and sacrifice and toll toil and pot not notto to toa a pa partnership of privilege and right WOMEN'S SERVICE I This war could not have been faug fought either by the other nations engaged or orby orby orby by America if it had haA not been for the I services of the women women services services rendered rendered rendered ren ren- dered in every sphere sphere not not merely In Inthe inthe in inthe the fields of efforts In which we have been accustomed to see them work but wherever men have worked and upon the very y skirts and edges of of- the battle bat bat- tl tle itself We shall not only be distrusted distrusted distrusted dis dis- dis- dis trusted but shall deserve to be distrusted distrusted distrusted dis dis- dis- dis trusted if we do not enfranchise them with the fullest possible enfranchisement enfranchise enfranchise- ment as It now is certain that the great free freo nations will wUl enfranchise enfranchise enfranchise chise them We shall not Isolate our thought and action in such a matter from the thought of the rest of the world We Ve must either or deliberately deliberately deliberately de de- de- de reject what they pr propose pose and resign the leadership of liberal minds to The women of America are too no noble noble noble no- no ble and too intelligent and too devoted to be slackers whether you you- give or withhold this thing that is mere justice justice justice jus jus- tice but I know the magic it will work In their thoughts and spirits if you yeu give It to them I propose it as as I would propose pro propose propose pose to admit soldiers to the suffrage the men fighting in the field for our lib liberties and the liberties of the world were they excluded i The task of the women lies lles at the very heart of the war and I know how much stronger that heart will beat if you de dp this Just thing and show our women that you trust them as much as you in fact and of necessity depend upon them NEf NECESSARY ESSARY MEASURE Have H ve I said that the passage of this amendment is a vitally necessary war measure and do you need further proof Do you stand in need of the trust of other peoples and of the trust of our own women women Is that trust an asset or is it not I tell you plainly as the commander in chief of our armies and of the gallant men in fleets as the present spokesman of this people in our dealings with the men inen nen and women throughout the world who are now our p partners as th the responsible responsible responsible sible h head ad of a great gov government which stands and is questioned day by day as its purposes its principles its hopes whether they be serviceable to to men everywhere or only to itself and who must himself answer these ques question questionings on- on ings- ings or be shamed as the guide and di director director director di- di rector of ct forces caught In the grip o of war and by the same token in need of every material and spiritual resource this great Teat nation possesses I I tell teU you plainly that this measure w which ich I 1 urge upon you is vital to the winning of the war and to the energies alike of preparation and of battle I SETTLEMENT NEEDED And not to the tho winning of the war only It is vital to the right solution of the great problems which we must settle and settle immediately when the war is over We shall need then in our vision of affairs as we have never needed them before the sympathy and Insight and clear moral instinct of the women of the world The problems of that time will strike to The he roots of many things that i io wo o have not hitherto questioned and I for one believe behove that our safety in those questioning days I as well as our comprehension of mat mat- th that t touch society t to 1 the quick will depend upon the direct a and d authoritative tive pa participation of women in our counsels W We Vi shall need their moral sense to pr preserve what what is right and nd fine and worthy in our system of life as well as t to discover just what It is that ought to be purified and reformed Without their we shall be e only half wise S That Is my case This is my appeal Many m may y deny its validity if they choose hoose but no one can brush aside or answer the arguments upon which h It Is based The executive tasks of this war rest upon me I ask that you vou lighten them and place in my ray hands instruments ments spiritual Instruments which I Ido Ido Ido do not now possess which I sorely need and which I have daily dally to apologize apologize apologize apolo apolo- gize ize for not being able to employ |