There was the disturbing consideration that women know too much to be trusted. “I happen to have a mother,” said Mr. Gray of New Jersey, Republican, “as most of us have, and incidentally I think we all have fathers, although a father does not count for much any more. My mother has forgotten more political history than he ever knew, and she knows more about the American government and American political economy than he has ever shown symptoms of knowing, and for the good of mankind as well as the country she is opposed to women getting into politics.”
The perennial lament for the passing of the good old days was raised by Representative Welty of Ohio, Democrat, who said:
“The old ship of state has left her moorings and seems to be sailing on an unknown and uncharted sea. The government founded in the blood of our fathers is fading away. Last fall, a year ago, both parties recognized those principles in their platforms, and each candidate solemnly declared that he would abide by them if elected. But lo, all old things are passing away, and the lady from Montana has filed a bill asking that separate citizenship be granted to American women marrying foreigners.”
Representative Greene of Massachusetts, Republican, all but shed tears over the inevitable amending of the Constitution:
“I have read it [the Constitution] many times, and there have been just 17 amendments adopted since the original Constitution was framed by the master minds whom God had inspired in the cabin of the Mayflower to formulate the Constitution of the Plymouth Colony which was made the basis of the Constitution of Massachusetts and subsequently resulted in the establishment of the Constitution of the United States under which we now live . . . .”
Fancy his shock at finding the pickets triumphant.
“Since the second session of the Sixty-fifth Congress opened,” he said, “I have met several women suffragists from the State of Massachusetts. I have immediately propounded to them this one question: ‘Do you approve or disapprove of the suffrage banners in front of the White House . . . ?’ The answer in nearly every case to my question was: ‘I glory in that demonstration’ . . . the response to my question was very offensive, and I immediately ordered these suffrage advocates from my office.”
And again the pickets featured in the final remarks of Mr. Small of North Carolina, Democrat, who deplored the fact that advocates of the amendment had made it an issue inducing party rivalry. “This is no party question, and such efforts will be futile. It almost equals in intelligence the scheme of that delectable and inane group of women who picketed the White House on the theory that the President could grant them the right to vote.”
Amid such gems of intellectual delight the House of the great American Congress passed the national suffrage amendment.
We turned our entire attention then to the Senate.