Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 60, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 October 1917 — URGES SUFFRAGE FOR WOMEN [ARTICLE]

URGES SUFFRAGE FOR WOMEN

President Takes Initiative as leader of His Party. Washington, Oct. 26.—Speaking as a party leader and as an individual, President Wilson urged the woman suffrage issue upon the voters of all states. He told a delegation of 100 members of the New York state woman suffrnge party that he hoped their campaign would be successful and urged men of all parties in Now York particularly to vote for suffrage. The president, addressing the suffragists, said: “I know the difficulties which you have been working under in New York state, hut in my Judgment those difficulties cannot he used as an excuse by the leaders of any party or by the voters of anjf party for neglecting the questions which you are pressing upon them. Because, after all, the whole world now is witnessing a struggle between two ideals of government. It is a struggle which goes deeper and touches more of the foundations of the organized life of men than any struggle that has ever taken place before, and no settlement of the questions that lie on the surface can satisfy a situation which requires ’that the questions which He underneath and at the foundation should also be settled, and settled right. I am free to say that I think the question of woman suffrage is one of those questions which lie at the foundation. “The world has witnessed a slow political reconstruction and men have generally been obliged to he satisfied with the slowness of the process. In a sense it is wholesome that It should be slow because then it is solid and sure, but I believe that this war Is going so to quicken the convictions and the consciousness of mankind with regard to political questions that the speed of reconstruction will be greatly increased. And I believe that just because we are quickened by the questions of this war we ought to be quickened to give this question of Woman suffrnge our immediate consideration. Speaks for Himself. “As one of the spokesmen of a great party, I would he nothing less than obeying trie inundates of that party If I gave my hearty support to the question of woman suffrage which you represent, but I do not want to speak merely as one of the spokesmen of a party. I want to speak for myself and say that it seems to me that this is the time for the states of this Union to take his action. I perhaps may be touched a little too much by the traditions of our politics—traditions which lay such questions almost entirely upon she states, but I want to

see communities declare themselves quickened at ibis time and Show the consequence of the quickening. “I think the whole country has appreciated the way In which the women have risen to this great occasion. They not only have done what they have been asked to do and done It with ardor'and efficiency, but they have shown a power to organize for doing things of their own initiative, which la quite a different tiling and a very much more difficult thing, and i think the whole country has admired the spirit and the capacity and the vision of the women of tlie United States. ' “It is almost absurd to say that the country depends upon the women for a large part of the Inspiration of its life. That is too obvious to sa.v; but it Is now depending upon the. women also for suggestions of service, which have been rendered in abundance and with the distinction of originality. I therefore am very glad to add my voice to those which are urging the people of the great state of New York to set a great example by voting for woman suffrage.”