The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923, July 01, 1918, Page 8, Image 8
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. . 1 ii