Suffragists -- United States; Women -- Suffrage -- United States
Eighty-three per cent of the Republicans voting on the measure, voted
in favor of it, while only fifty per cent of the Democrats voting,
voted for it. Even after the Republicans had pledged their utmost
strength, more than two-thirds of their membership, votes were still
lacking to make up the Democratic deficiency, and the President’s
declaration that the measure ought to pass the House, produced them
from his own party. Those who contend that picketing had “set back the
clock,”—that it did “no good,”—that President Wilson would “not be
moved by it”—have, we believe, the burden of proof on their side of the
argument. It is our firm belief that the solid year of picketing, with
all its political ramifications, did compel the President to abandon
his opposition and declare himself for the measure. I do not mean to
say that many things do not cooperate in a movement toward a great
event. I do mean to say that picketing was the most vital force amongst
the elements which moved President Wilson. That picketing had compelled
Congress to see the question in terms of political capital is also
true. From the first word uttered in the House debate, until the final
roll-call, political expediency was the chief motif.
Mr. Lenroot of Wisconsin, Republican, rose to say:
“May I suggest that there is a distinction between the Democratic
members of the Committee on Rules and the Republican members, in this,
that all of the Republican members are for this proposition?” This was
met with instant applause from the Republican side.
Representative Cantrill prefaced his speech embodying the President’s
statement, which caused roars and jeers from the opposition, with the
announcement that he was not willing to risk another election, with the
voting women of the West, and the amendment still unpassed.
Mr. Lenroot further pointed out that: “From a Republican
standpoint—from a partisan standpoint, it would be an advantage to
Republicans to go before the people in the next election and say that
this resolution was defeated by southern Democrats.”
An anti-suffragist tried above the din and noise to remind Mr. Lenroot
that three years before Mr. Lenroot had voted “No,” but a Republican
colleague came suddenly to the rescue with “What about Mr. Wilson?”
which was followed by, “He kept us out of war,” and the jeers on the
Republican side became more pronounced.
This interesting political tilt took place when Representatives
Dennison and Williams of Illinois, and Representative Kearns of Ohio,
Republicans, fenced with Representative Raker of California, Democrat,
as he attempted, with an evident note of self-consciousness, to make
the President’s reversal seem less sudden.
MR. DENNISON : It was known by the committee that went to see the
President that the Republicans were going to take this matter up and
pass it in caucus, was it not?’
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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