ion of any
vitally important question that has arisen in the growth and
development of the nation." A review of the different committees was
made and she concluded: "We do not ask or expect a committee
constituted to represent our views but we ask for one whose special
duty it shall be to consider the question. We feel that we are only
asking the House of Representatives to follow its usual rule and
procedure."

Mr. Mondell closed the hearing with a sarcastic review of the
objections made by the opponents during which he said: "I had the
privilege and pleasure of listening to the exceedingly strong and
forceful argument in favor of woman suffrage made this morning by the
gentleman from Alabama, or was it intended for an argument against it?
I think, taking it as a whole, that it was the most conclusive
argument I have ever heard in favor of it.... We have a committee
whose business it is to inquire how much further we should extend the
franchise to the little brown brother over in the Philippines, some
six or seven millions of him, and the President considers that a
sufficiently important matter to refer to it in his Message. I hope it
was through forgetfulness and not deliberate intent that he seemed to
fail to realize that it is of vastly less importance than the question
of granting the franchise to the mothers, wives and sisters among the
95,000,000 of the folks here in the United States." Mr. Mondell
ridiculed the sentimental effusion of Mr. Heflin and his solicitude
lest the harmony of family life might be disturbed and said: "If the
testimony of one who speaks from experience is worth while I can say
with full realization that it is a sweeping statement: In twenty-seven
years' wide knowledge of a people where woman suffrage prevails I have
never known a solitary case where a difference of political opinion
resulted in family quarrels or misunderstanding, not a single one....
Are we to understand that men elsewhere--in Alabama, for instance--are
less considerate than with us and that they would make trouble if
their women folks did not vote as they wanted them to?... The exercise
of the franchise is a privilege and a right but above and beyond the
question of right or privilege stands the fact that as time goes on
and we are attempting to meet wisely the multitude of questions that
arise in government, many of them social and economic, we need the
assistance of the best half of mankind."

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