Complex Feminine Bill

A bill favoring woman suffrage, drawn up by M. Justin Godart, quondam Minister in the Clemenceau Cabinet, and signed by 83 other Deputies, with political faiths ranging from Conservative to Socialist, was introduced into the Chamber of Deputies.

M. Roulleaux-Dugage, Deputy, sponsored an amendment to include a "family vote by representation," which means that the father of a family should have as many votes in addition to his own as he has children. This amendment was referred to committee by a vote of 440 to 135.

A report on the bill, which is self-explanatory, prepared by M. Joseph Barthelemy on behalf of the Universal Suffrage Commission, calls attention to the vote of 344 to 97 in favor of woman suffrage passed by the Chamber in 1919, but defeated later by the Senate: "The most important event which has occurred in the world to strengthen the vote of the French Chamber in 1919, giving to women the right to vote, took place in 1920, when woman's right to the suffrage became an integral part of the Constitution of the greatest democracy in the world, the United States. . . The 36th State necessary for amendment of the American Constitution was Tennessee, which ratified woman suffrage on Sept. 18, 1920. The vote was immediately certified by Secretary of State Colby, who declared that the 19th Amendment was now a part of the American Constitution, and in the November, 1920, elections women voted throughout the Union. . . . Thus the United States, the greatest Republic in the civilized world, solemnly proclaimed the political equality of the sexes. More than 20 million American women are responsible by their ballots for framing and enforcing the laws of the United States. . . . Your commission asks you to do likewise, with the only difference that the age of the women who may vote in France shall be placed at 25 years, instead of 21."

For two days discussion of the Bill was swamped by a heavy sea of amendments, counter-amendments and other parliamentary devices. Friends of woman suffrage were adverse to Deputy Roulleaux-Dugage's children clause, others supported it because of its close relationship with the birthrate problem, while the enemies of woman suffrage "tried to steer the discussions into a debate upon internal politics." At the end of the two days the bill had made no progress.

The Suffrage bill then read:

"Article 1--The right of suffrage belongs to all French citizens, men and women, aged 21.

"Article 2--The father of a family also shall exercise the right of suffrage on behalf of minor legitimate children of both sexes, as well as natural children the paternity of which is acknowledged before the proper authorities."

M. Manoury, Minister of the Interior, conferred with MM. Peret, Roulleaux-Dugage, Justin Godart, Briand, Varenne, Barthelemy. It was decided to ask the Chamber for a postponement until Dec. 20 in order to enable the Government to make a decisive stand on the question before the Suffrage Commission. The Chamber, however, defeated the Government's motion by 282 to 246 votes. After a further period of discussion, in which M. Andrieux, dean of the Chamber, further complicated the extremely complex problem by suggesting that Article 1 be treated separately, the bill had to be adjourned until Dec. 18.

Delegates representing the National Council of French Women, the Union for Woman Suffrage, the League for Rights of Women called at the Chamber and demanded that the bill be confined to Article 1 or that Deputy Justin Godart's bill for the enfranchisement of women of 25 or over be substituted for Article 2, Deputy Roul-leaux-Dugage's measure.

The Government also was considering a bill to force every citizen to cast a vote. The Echo de Paris said that it was proposed "to penalize those who are too lazy or indifferent to vote by making a substantial increase in the tax assessments."