wr ifr-rfrWf'Y'
The Commoner
VOL. 18, NO. 7
8l
President Wilson for World-Wide
Suffrage
' A Washington special to tho Cincinnati En
quirer, dated Juno 18, Bays: President Wilson
today Cook leadership in a movement for world
wide HUffrago.
In a striking response to a memorial from
tho Fronch Union of Woman Suffrage, Indorsed
by tho suffrage organizations of Great Britain,
Belgium, Italy and Portugal, ho went on record
that equal franchise rights for women shall bo
established definitely among all nations as a
principal achievement in tho winning of perma
nent peaco.
Ills mosBago, transmitted through Mrs. Carrlo
Chapman Catt, president of tho International
Woman Suffrago Alliance, follows:
"I havo read your messago with tho deepest
interost, and I wolcomo tho opportunity to say
that I agreo, without reservation, that tho full
and sincere democratic reconstruction of tho
world, for which wo aro striving and which wo
aro determined to bring about at any cost, will
not have boon completely or adequately attained
until women aro admitted to tho suffrage, and
that only by that action can tho nations of tho
world reallzo for tho benefit of future genera
tions tho full ideal forco of opinion or tho full
humano forces of action.
WOMEN SERVING USEFULLY.
"Tho sorviccs of women during this supremo
crisis of tho world's history havo been of tho
most signal usofulnoss and distinction. Tho
war could not havo boon fought without them,
or its sacrifices ondurod. It is high time that
somo part of our debt of gratitudo to them
should bo acknowledged and paid, and tho only
acknowledgment they ask is their admission
to tho suffrago. Can wo justly refuso it?
"As for America it is my earnest hopo that
tho Bonato of tho United StateB will give an un
mistakable answer to this question by passing
tho suffrago amendment to our federal consti
tution boforo tho end of this session.
"Cordially and sincerely yours,
"WOODROW WILSON."
Tho memorial which tho President was
answering follows:
"In tho historic messago which announces
to tho world tho ontry into tho struggle of
American forco and thought, you declared un
fTgotablo formulao upon which your great re
public awaits a victory tho right of peoples to
solf-dotorminatlon and a durable peace for gen
erations to como.
"HAVE HEARD YOUR WORDS."
"Tho Fronch suffragists and those of tho
allied countries havo heard your beauti
ful and strong words anu they unite in.
prayer to you for tho accomplishment of tho
following resolution:
" Considering that from this 'war there has
como a now international right founded upon
tho right of peoples to self-determination;
" 'That nothing can bo claimed to speak au
thoritatively in the namo of tho people which
oxcludes women from tho life of nations;
" Considering, moreover, that women during
tho actual conflict havo shown tho value of tho
social work which they are capablo of perform
ing. " Considering that the participation of wives
and mothers in the suffrago would bo the great
est guarantee of tho peaco to come, tho need
that tho belligerent countries have of their help
. in tho present conflict, tho sufferings, moral as
woll as physical, which this war has cost them,
have civen definite proof that nj longer, wlth
. out iniquity and imprudence, can one refuse to
give them through their voto an influence in
. tho undertakings which decide peaco and war.
' 'The women of tho allied countries express
tho wish that President Wilson in one of his fu
ture messages will proclaim tho principle of wo
man suffrage one of tho fundamental rights of
tho futuro.' b
"Wo havo read with emotion, Mr. President,
tho very profound words which you havo spoken
in response to tho delegation of women from
New York. If we recite them here it is because
they are the same words that we would ask you
to address to all humanity in one of your dec
larations which resound throughout the world:
It is a atrugglo which goes deeper and
touches more of the foundation of organized
life of men than any struggle that has ever
taken place before, and np settlement of tho
questions that lie on the surface can satisfy a
situation which requires Jhat the questions
which lio underneath and at the foundation
should also be settled, and settled right. I am
free td say that I think tho question of woman
suffrage is one of those questions which lie at
tho foundation.'
"I beg you to accept, Mr. President, tho ex
pression of our great appreciation of our Amer
ican sister, and our profound appreciation for
the high moral tone of tho declarations which
you havo uttered in their name. It is this
which encourages us to ask your aid, which
will be a powerful influence for woman suffrage
in tho entire world."
DELEGATION WAITS ON HIM.
The President's communication to the French
suffragists was given by him to a deputation of
women representing tho National American
Woman Suffrage Association, who waited on him
at tho White house at 4 o'clock this afternoon.
Mrs. Catt, who also is the president of this asso
ciation, headed the delegation and read to tho
President tho memorial from the French suf
fragists. With her were Dr. Anna Howard
Shaw, chairman of tho woman's committee , of
the council of national defense; Mrs. Helen H.
Gardner, of this city; Mrs. Maud Wood Park,
Miss Ruth White and Miss Rose Young.
The International Woman Suffrage Alliance,
through whom the President delivered his mes
sage, is made up of national suffrage associa
tions from twenty-six countries. Thus, in an
swering the appeal, the President In effect be
comes the mouthpiece of the suffragists of all
these countries in his insistence that the fam
ily of nations shall give a position of equality
to tho women of its household.
It is expected by the suffrage leaders gener
ally that the President's action not only will
prod tho senate into action on the suffrago
amendment, which already has passed the house,
but will give big impetus to the suffrage move
ment in all the allied countries.
From tho outset of the war the President
has been insistent that the women employed
in the various war industries and relied on to
do the work of the men taken into the army
and navy, should be accorded all the rights and
equal pay with those whose places they fill His
sympathies for the suffrage cause have grown
more and more intense as the burden of the
women's sacrifice in the war has become more
apparent.
The statement has been made that he would
have come out for woman suffrage sooner than
he did but for the White house pickets and the
woman's party. As a matter of fact, he sym
pathized with the ultimate aims of the pickets
to" wh oil"!11 h cld "ot approve the xnethods
to which they resorted to attain their ends.
Mr. Bryan in North Dakota
AT GRAND FORKS
From The Grand Forks Herald, July 6 3
Before a packed house, William TpnniLo
orator of note, delivered one of the most Vn
AT DEVOt'S LAKE
From the Devil's Lake Journal, July 6 1
iiffoStsnuat"06 hi8 ,ast
No private citizen has done as mni
ZQTiCmB t0 tno Stance oHSokS
7n? fB?e ;ar', Ja"ytoB the people to the su
port of the President, and arousing the nation
8ervateion?Ce88ity f fd Auction "o
This is not all: He is leading the greatest of
all fights, for the home for humanity itself-:
the crusade against liquor, and to him more
than any-other man is duo tho forces which aro
marching through every state in the union to
wipe the curse from the map of the United
States.
Every loyal American should thank his God
that William Jennings Bryan is living today-,
in this day when men of his class were never
so badly needed.
And from every state in the union prayers
are going up that he may live to give the ser
vices of his great mind to his country as the
war closes, to the end that a worth-while vic
tory is won for democracy a home as well as
abroad.
AT WALHALLA
A Walhalla, N: D., dispatch, dated July 5,
says: The 'great day has passed and 15,000
people listened to William Jennings Bryan as
he delivered two speeches, one at 2:30 to 5,000
assembled in and about the auditorium, and
one at 4:30 to 10,000 who stood waiting pa
tiently for two hours, and who had been unable
to get within 300 feet of the big building. His
address was one that took all of the sting out
of his resignation as secretary of state, and
places him amongst the foremost of Americans
who are behind the President.
The fifteen acres of Chautauqua park were
covered with people and automobiles, and some
3,000 autos were parked in the streets of the
city and never went near the park. It was a
great day for Walhalla and establishes it per
manently as one of the great pleasure Chautau
qua resorts of the state. The day passed with
out accident which, considering the number of
people and cars, is a splendid record.
PRAYS FOR WORLD PEACE
A Rome dispatch, dated June 29, says: At
a midnight mass for peace and the re-establishment
of justice, charity, and fraternity through
out the world, Pope Benedict raised his voice in
prayer in St. Peter's cathedral this morning.
The pontiff, accompanied only by Archbishop
Bonaventure Gerretti, secretary of the congre
gation for extraordinary .ecclesiastical affairs,
went to. the cathedral at 10 o'clock last night
to participate in the ceremonies.
There were about 1,000 present, including a
large part of the Roman aristocracy, Prince
Colonna, mayor of Rome; Prince Orisini, senior
assistant at the papal throne; Prince G. B. Ros
pigliosi, and Prince Massini.
The nope, dressed entirely in white and wear
ing a white cap, knelt in the Gregorian chapel,
where the holy sacrament wr.s exposed. He con
tinued prayer for two hours, the prayer being
--rw-.w UJ UD ivueouug iaumui. jyi a quanta
past 12 Pope Benedict celebrated mass, accord
ing in lllo r,t! ,- . . ., "I
-o w illo ovular message aaaressea to tne en
tire world, issued on May 9, and calling for spe
cial services on St. Peter's day, today. The
prayer was a supplication for the cessation of
the evils tormenting humanity.
It was the first mass ever celebrated for this
purpose on St. Peter's day by the whole Catholic
clergy throughout the world. .
Archbishop Ceretti followed with a mass of
thanksgiving, while the widely known composer,
Abbe Perosi, played the organ.
The ceremony ended with the apostolic bene
diction from the pope in his own apartment at
2 o'clock this morning.
Popular government would have a really dif
ficult way to travel if it were not for stupid' y
or its enemies. The railroads, piqued because
they were not allowed to raise rates whenever
they desired to do so and having allowed things
to get into a dreadful snarl, forced the presi
dent o take them over. The Western Union
telegraph company, refusing to deal fairly with
its operators and to obey the findings of the
president's commission with respect to wages,
forced the men to the point of striking. To
prevent the calamitous result that would have
followed, the government took them over. The
nation has had government operation of the
transportation and wire communication systems
forced upon it. A man doesn't have to be much
u, inuiJiiet to predict that they will never b" ,
back into private hands when- private ownership
...,. w iButtuy in. a national crisis.
It is sometimes difficult to tell whether the
liberty bonds offered by the divorce courts or
those the government has on sale are the mort
popular. .
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