asily
understood words: "All believers in a republic accept the
doctrine that the government must derive its just powers from the
consent of the governed and the President gives every legitimate
encouragement to those who represent this idea while he
discourages those who attempt to overthrow or ignore the
principles of popular government."

I am sure that all of us hope and want to believe that this
latest pronouncement given out officially as from the leading
Cabinet officer was intended to be accepted at home as well as
abroad as literally and absolutely true and not a mere bit of
spectacular oratory. But if it is true, then not one of you
gentlemen who has it in his heart to oppose woman suffrage is a
believer in our form of government; not one of you is loyal to
the flag; not one of you is a true American. You do not allow us
women to give our consent, yet we are governed. You are not
sitting in Congress justly and Mr. Bryan and the President do not
believe that you are--none of you except those who are from woman
suffrage States--or else that official statement is mere oratory
for foreign consumption. He says that the President discourages
those who attempt to overthrow or even to "ignore" this principle
of popular government. We are more than glad to believe that Mr.
Bryan is correct in this plain statement, for then we will know
that a number of you will receive a good deal of "discouragement"
at the hands of the President, and that those of you who stand
with us and vote for us will receive your sure reward from him,
in that "every legitimate encouragement" will be yours, and also,
incidentally, ours. We need it, we think it is overdue. Up to the
present time we have not felt that either the President or the
Secretary of State quite fully realized that there is a good deal
of belated encouragement due us and quite a limitless supply of
discouragement due those who try "to overthrow or ignore" all
semblance of a belief in the right of women to give their consent
to their own government. I am glad to have so high an authority
that the good time is not only coming but that it has at last
arrived--and through the Democratic party!

Again, in this simple, plain, seemingly frank statement of the
Secretary of State, he says: ... "Noth