The Story of the Woman's PartyGillmore, Inez Haynes
History
The Story of the Woman's Party
Gillmore, Inez Haynes
National Woman's Party; Paul, Alice, 1885-1977; Women -- Suffrage -- United States
The friends of the Susan B. Anthony Amendment were surprised—and of
course delighted—when through the tireless efforts of Anne Martin—the
Suffrage Bill came out of committee and onto the calendar of the Senate
on January 8. In the House at first, the situation seemed equally
encouraging. But unexpected obstacles manifested themselves; continued
to multiply and grow. Presently there developed between the Judiciary
Committee and the Suffragists a contest similar to that of 1914 between
the Rules Committee and the Suffragists, but more intense.
The Judiciary Committee as usual referred the Amendment to a
sub-committee. Anne Martin lobbied the members of the sub-committee and
in consequence of this pressure, the sub-committee on February 9, voted
the report out—although without recommendation, to the full committee
which would meet on February 15.
At this meeting, by a vote of nine to seven, the Judiciary Committee
referred the Suffrage Resolution back to the sub-committee with
instructions to hold it until December 14—nearly a year off. This was an
unusual thing to do. After a sub-committee has reported a measure to the
committee, it is customary to allow at least a week to elapse before it
is acted upon, so that the members who are absent may be present when
the committee, as a whole, votes upon it. There is a gentleman’s
agreement to this effect.
In her _Revelations of a Woman Lobbyist_, in _McCall’s Magazine_, Maud
Younger thus describes the meeting of February 15:
The day ended as discouragingly as it had begun and I reported the
situation to Mr. John Nelson, of Wisconsin, the only man on the
committee who showed genuine enthusiasm.
“Your Amendment can’t come up tomorrow,” he assured me. “There’s a
gentleman’s agreement that no action shall be taken on a bill for a
week after the sub-committee reports it out. The matter lies over so
that the members may be notified to be present. Your Amendment will
come up next week.”
Relying on this reprieve, I felt no apprehension when Anne and I
went to the Capitol next morning. Standing in the anteroom of the
Judiciary Committee’s chamber, we watched the members passing
through. The committee went into executive session and the door
closed.
“There’s the gentleman’s agreement,” I said to Anne. “Nothing can
happen.”
“No,” she answered meditatively.
We waited. An hour passed and Mr. Carlin came out. He walked close
to Anne and said with a laugh as he passed her, “Well, we’ve killed
Cock Robin.”
“Cock Robin?” said Anne, puzzled, looking after him.
Mr. Nelson came out, much perturbed, and explained. Upon motion of
Mr. Carlin the Judiciary Committee had voted to send the Amendment
back to the sub-committee to remain until the following December.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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