Suffragists -- United States; Women -- Suffrage -- United States
Still unwilling to believe that we would be forced to resume our
militancy we attempted to talk to the President again A special
deputation of women munition workers was sent to him under our
auspices. The women waited for a week, hoping he would consent to see
them among his receptions—to the Blue Devils of France, to a Committee
of Indians, to a Committee of Irish Patriots, and so forth.
“No time,” was the answer. And the munition workers were forced to
submit their appeal in writing.
“We are only a few of the thousands of American women,” they wrote the
President, “who are forming a growing part of the army at home. The
work we are doing is hard and dangerous to life and health, making
detonators, handling TNT, the highest of all explosives. We want to be
recognized by our country, as much her citizens as our soldiers are.”
Mr. Tumulty replied for the President:
“The President asks me to say that nothing you or your associates could
say could possibly increase his very deep interest in this matter and
that he is doing everything that he could with honor and propriety do
in behalf of the [suffrage] amendment.”
An opportunity was given the President to show again his sympathy for a
world-wide endeavor just after having ignored this specific opportunity
at home. He hastened to accept the larger field. In response to a
memorial transmitted through Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt, President of the
International Woman Suffrage Alliance, the French Union for Woman
Suffrage urged the President to use his aid on their behalf “which will
be a powerful influence for woman suffrage in the entire world.” The
memorial was endorsed by the suffrage committee of Great Britain,
Italy, Belgium, and Portugal. The President took the occasion to say:
“The democratic reconstruction of the world will not have been
completely or adequately obtained until women are admitted to the
suffrage. As for America it is my earnest hope that the Senate of the
United States will give an unmistakable answer by passing the federal
amendment before the end of this session.”
Meanwhile four more Democratic Senators pledged their support to the
amendment. Influenced by the President’s declaration of support, and by
widespread demands from their constituents, Senators Phelan of
California, King of Utah, Gerry of Rhode Island, and Culberson of Texas
abandoned the ranks of the opposition.
During this same period the Republican side of the Senate gave five
more Republican Senators to the amendment. They were Senators McCumber
of North Dakota, Kellogg of Minnesota, Harding of Ohio, Page of
Vermont, and Sutherland of West Virginia. All of these men except
Senator McCumber[1] were won through the pressure from Republican Party
leaders.
[1] Senator McCumber, though opposed, was compelled to support the
measure, by the action of the N. D. legislature commanding him to do
so.
This gain of nine recruits reduced to two the number of votes to be
won.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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