malone had become an advocate of women's suffrage, and resigned to protest wilson's failure to take up that issue or support a woman suffrage amendment to the constitution. in 1918, he won the release of a group of suffragettes who had been jailed for anti-wilson "silent sentinel" demonstrations led by alice paul. malone successfully appealed their convictions for "unlawful assembly" for "obstructing the sidewalk" in front of the white house.