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The Commoner
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VOL. 19, X0. 2
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Hitchcock Refuses to
Vote for Suffrage
Both branches of the Nebraska legislature
unanimously adopted a Joint resolution memorial
izing the United Statea senate to submit national
equal suffrage to tho states for approval and
particularly requesting. Senator G. M. Hitchcock
to vote for such submission to tho states. Tho
resolution follows:
Section 1. That the ' and Uie house of
representatives of the t Nebraska hereby
memorialize tho senate ul United Statos with
out delay to pass and submit to the states for
approval or rejection th pending women suf
frage federal amendment.
Section 2. That tho senate and house of
repreaenlE 'ves of tho state of Nebraska hereby
request Senator Gilbert M. Hitchcock of Nebraska
to vote in favor of the submission, to the states
of eaid women suffrage federal amendment.
Section 3. That copies of thla resolution shall
be sent by the secretary of state to the presiding
officer of tho senate c the United States and to
Senator Gilbort M. Hitchcock of Nobraska. .
TEXT OF REPLY
Sonator Hitchcock replied to thQ resolution in
the following letter:
'I acknowledge receipt of tho resolution
adopted by tho Nebraska legislature requesting'
mo to vote for tho resolution submitting to the
Btatoa for their ratification the woman traffrago
constitutional amendment. The request, coming
from a legislature so recently elected, was en
titled to careful and respectful consideration al
though it called upon me to change my vote,
if not my Judgment on. this important question.
"I need hardly say if I had been able to change
my Judgment I certainly should, have1 changed
my vote. Not being able to change: my judgment
It aeema proper that I should state to the legis
lature my. reasons for the conviction I hold.
DIFFERENT PROBLEM
"Let e say in the first place that I make no
argument agalngt woman. suffrage. "While in. the
past I have opposed woman suffrage, the course
of political, social and economical developments
of receiit years has modified by Judgment ore that
issue and when the question; is again submitted
to the voters in Nebraska. I shalL certainly not be
found In opposition to the change and. may be
among its active advocates. An entirely different
Issue ia presented, however, W,hen an. amendment
is proposed to the constitution of the United
States to compel states against their will to grant
the elective franchise to women. Should such, a
resolution, be passed by congress it would mean
that 36 states approving it would be in a position
to compel 12. other states to recognize women.
suffrage oven if opposed tq It. It is perfectly
competent for Nebraska to decide that in. the
election of her legislature, her city governments,
her governor and her supreme court Judges, she
she wants, women to vote, but I can not approve
tho Idea that any other state in the union, or
any other number of states in the union should
compel Nebraska to adopt this method against
the will of her people.
"If the federal amendment only contemplated
tho election of senators, congressmen and presi
dent, as dictated In tho federal constitution, it
waul be much loss objectionable, but when we
contomplate that if Includes the election of all
state, county and city officers of 48 states In a
manner dictated by 36 states, it Is contrary to
my ideas of goverment and I cannot vote to place
36 states in a position to make such dictation."
WOIAN SUFFRAGE AGAIN BEATEN IN THE
SENATE '
A Washington dispatch, dated Feb. 10, says
Woman suffrage by constitutional amendment
was beaten again today in tho senate.
Tho house resolution for submission of the
amendment failed of adoption with 55 votes in
favor of it and 29 against, one less than the
necessary two-thlrd3.
Thus ended what leading suffrage champions
had said In advance would be tho final teat of
this session of congress. The suffrage advocates
went Into the tost knowing they lacked one vote
but hoping to the last that It would be won
over.
Those voting in favor of the resolution were:
Democrats Ashurst, Culberson, Gerry, Gore
Henderson, Johnson of North Dakota, Jones of
New Mexico, Kondrlck, Kirby, Lewis, McKellar,
Myers, Nugent, Pittman, . Pollock, Ransdell,
Robinson, Shafroth, Sheppard, Smith of Arizona,
Thomas, Thompson, Vardaman and Walsh 4.
Republicans Calder, Colt, Cummins, Curtis)
Fernald, France, FrellnghuyBen, Gronna, Hard
ing, Johnson of California, Jones of Washington,
Kellogg, Kenyon, LaFollette, Lenroot, Mc
Curabor, McNary, Nelson, New, Norris, Page,
Poitdexter, Sherman, Smith of Michigan, Smoot,
Spencer, Sterling, Sutherland, Townsend, Warren
and Watson 31.
Total voting for, 55.
Voting against the resolution were:
Democrats Bankhead, Beckman, Fletcher,
Gay, Hardwick, Hitchcock, Martin of Virginia
Overman, Pomerene, Saulsbury, Simmons, Smith,
of Georgia, Smith, of South Carolina, Swanson,
Trammell, UnderwoodT Williams and Wolcott
18.
Republicans Baird, Borah, Brandegee, Dil
lingham, Halo, Logan, McLean, Moses, Penrose,
Wadsworth and Weeks 11. Total 29.
The following wero paired:
Chamberlain of Oregon and Martin of Ken
tucky with Reed of Missouri; Goff o West
Virginia, and Owen of Oklahoma, with. Shields
of Tonnessee, Hollis of New Hampshire, and.
King of Utah, with Knox of Pennsylvania, and
Phelan of California and Fall of New Mexico,
with Smith of Maryland.
RATIFICATION OF PROHIBITION IS EVI
DENCE OF HIGHER MORALITY
OF NEW ERA
By the ratification ot the prohibition amend
ment to tho federal constitution, one hundred
per cent In efficiency haa been added at one
stroke to the people of America. And by the
same stroke half of the misery and half of the
poverty of the people of America have been
abolished Three hundred thousand saloons have
been eliminated, three hundred thousand man
traps have been sed into which a considerable
portion of the youth, ot thi country fell every
year fell -to degradation and to vice and to
crime. v ,
Three hundred thousand ambushes have been
destroyed from which the forces of evil, have:
been wont to issue in secrecy to overcome the
happiness of homes and to attack the religion,
the education, the morality and the prosperity
of the commtnity. S ng drink has lined more
every year than the great war has killed. Strorig
drink has destroyed more every year than the'
great war haa destroyed. And the continuance
of strong- drink would be as if the great war
lias been perpetuated forever to kill and to maim,
physically and mentally forever to destroy the
works of man and tho potential fortress for
achievement in man, forever to Interfere with,
progress and prosperity and enlightenment and
development not wholly to prevent advance
ment but always to hinder and hamper if to?'
strike down many of these best fitted to create
it; to dwa.-f the greatest possibility of civilized
development and to make it fail of its greatest
growth and fullest fruition. A heavy and over
bearing burden has been lifted from the back of
humanity and mankind is able to stretch its
limbs with a new freedom, fill its lungs with a
purer air, feel Its heart throb with a new energy"
and its brain thrill with a. clearer thought and
higher purpose. ,
Did the great war destroy the drink evil? If'
&t2 oTaYl S.CnferrGd the greatest
But the drink evil was not destroyed by the
great war, but by the growing, rising, expanding
conscience of mankind, by the trend toward
moral legislation as well as political ana 2n
omic legislation, by the disposiCol 'the
and intellectual forces of the country to tak
closer care of the welfare ,f their leTs favorable
thi?nn
Good Is not bon i o "evil Lnfnpl eveIpent.
sorrow, but Ji&?"
and elevates our ideals. The gSq "VU?lt3
tions of the war, the devotforf anS 2 depriv
to a noble cause mM&'
science of our people and made the evil nfi?nr
more vividly seen, more deeply : detested k
suppression of the drink traffic is an Pi Th
and expression of the higher morality f efTidenco
era upon which we are . entertS r L ?? -ew
clearest indication as well as ' K Vs the
guaranty ot the better Conditions whiV?ngest
era will afford to. mankind -wn- new"
Hearst, in N. Y. American am Ranlph
HUGHES JOINS BRYAN IN THE PTri
ARMENIA PL1BA FR
From. New-York Tribune, February a i
. Charles Evans Hughes and William t.
Bryan- pleaded for a free Armenia St hS?0
the dinner ot the Armenian CommiUel;1
Independence of Armenia at the Hotel pi
Five hundred Armenians and friends of tha tl
pressed people attended, many cominc from
tant parts of the United States. m dls
A resolution was passed asking the neaca
ference to help Armenia to establish an foE
pendent state, m
Messages from Foreign Minister Balfour flr
England and Foreign Minister Pichon, of FrL
promising the support ot those nations to
cause of Armenian independence, wero rccetaS
with applause. The Armenian national delea
tion at Paris sent oil, expression ot thanks for
America's interest in, Armenian freedom
The dinner guests were stirred by aWeanl
depicting 3,0ua years of Armenian history This
pageant showed some of tho trials that Armenia1
in the past has. endured la the cause ot civile
tion and Christianity.
James W. Gerard,, chairman ot tho committee
who presided last night asserted that the claim
of Armenia, could not he ignored by the pcaco
conference. He told pt the hundreds of thou
sands Of Armenfaiis slaughtered by the Turin
because tho Armenian, people refused to snpport
Turkey in Turkey's support ot Kultur. He paid
a- tribute to the heroism of the Armenian con
tingent 'that fought with the Allies in Palestino,
Armenia has earned freedom, he said.
BRYANT URGE& FREE REPUBLIC FOR
jttSfENIA
From. New York American, February 9.1
William 'Jennings. Bryan, urging self-deter.
minatfon and self-government for Armenia de
clared last night America, has taught the world
how1 to progress without revolution or bloodshed,
The former Secretary of State was principal
speaker at a. &anet arid pageant given In the
HoteL Plaza, hy the; American Committee for the
Independence of Armenia.
After the. speeches a resolution was adopted
unanimously (Jailing; for the Indenpendenco of
Armenia.. rapd requ-esutogr President Wilson to
take, steps at the peace conference to aid in, the
setting; up of a republic In that ancient country.
; TMK BRYAN REVIVAL
WUat.with prohibition written into the federal
constitution, government ownership of railroads
a near-policy of the administration, asd the
principle of his arbitration treaties given a
prominent place in the tentative plans of the
League of Nations, Mr Bryan's cup of happiness
must be reasonably filled in hl retirement from
tho; stress and strain of official life. And now
comes. the titular representative ot the adminis
tration in matters of fiscal policy and advocates
the- establishment of the guarantee of national
bank 'deposits. The only thing- seemingly lacking
to make his; joy complete would be the accept
ance of 'his- theory of silver coinage, and, to tell
the, ihruth, there sfre more or less accepted
schemes of inuation.either conditionally admitted
or knocking at theidoor -of the currency system
today hich are quite as: dangerous to the sound
money principle as any threatened recognition ol
silver, Philadelphia Bulletin.
GET SOMEBODY ELSE
The Lord had a job for me,
. But I had so much ,to. do
That f said you get somebody else
Or wait 'til X get through.
I don't know how the4 Lord made out
But he seemed to get along
But I felt kind a sneaking like
. I knowed I done God wrong.
Ovne day I needed the Lord
I needed Iiim right away,
But he never answered me at all,
And I could hear him say,
Down" in my accusin' heart:
"Nigger, I'se gof too much to do;
You get somebody else,
Or wait 'til I get through."
Now, Avhen tho Lord He "have a job for me,
I never tries to shirk;
I drops what I have on hand,
And does the good Lord's work.
And my affairs can run along,
Or. wait 'til I get through ;
'Nobody, else, can do the work
' That God marked out for you.
-Paul Lawrence Dunbar.
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