CHAPTER I

WHY THE FEDERAL AMENDMENT?


Woman Suffrage is coming--no intelligent person in the United States
or in the world will deny that fact. The most an intelligent opponent
expects to accomplish is to postpone its establishment as long as
possible. When it will come and how it will come are still open
questions. Woman Suffrage by Federal Amendment is supported by seven
main reasons. These main reasons are evaded or avoided; they are not
answered.


1. KEEPING PACE WITH OTHER COUNTRIES DEMANDS IT.

Suffrage for men and suffrage for women in other lands, with few and
minor exceptions, has been granted by parliamentary act and not by
referenda. By such enactment the women of Australia were granted full
suffrage in Federal elections by the Federal Parliament (1902), and
each State or Province granted full suffrage in all other elections by
act of their Provincial Parliaments.[A] By such enactment the Isle
of Man, New Zealand, Finland, Norway, Iceland and Denmark gave equal
suffrage in all elections to women.[A] By such process the Parliaments
of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta gave full provincial suffrage
to their women in 1916. British Columbia referred the question to the
voters in 1916, but the Provincial Parliament had already extended
all suffrage rights except the parliamentary vote, and both political
parties lent their aid in the referendum which consequently gave a