Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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EQUAL SUFFRAGE EDITION ^ CJ Issued under auspices of Union County e< Equal Suffrage Leapue. di EDITORS si Mrs. W. T. Beaty, P1 Mrs. James W. Mixson, Mrs. Lewis M. Rice ^ OFFICERS a Union Equal Suffrage League <11 President Mrs. T. C. Duncan Secretary Mrs. VV. T. Beaty IS Treasurer Mrs. Jacob Cohen Ul f Mrs. Jas. W. Mixson w V. Presidents 4 Mrs. W. E. Thomson m l^Mrs. S. S. Linder w Parliamentarian--Miss Louisa Duncan s< Object S1 The object of the organization shall be to advance the lepal, industrial and educational riphts of women; and to secure for them equal riphts to the ti ballot with men. j? FRIDAY. MARCH 1(5. 1017. ei I b< "Ballots for Both." V We claim the ripht to have a voice in shapirtp our own destinies, the more f< we think, the more pronounced is this m determination. a] The male bipeds say: "It will degrade women to go to the polls and vote." If this he so, better pull down the courthouse or?purify it. ?n-l The mothers who gave birth to the sons who are to die for the country should have some say as to when the tV time to be offered up in sacrifice arrives. y< "Rome was not built in a day." Nor tc has equal suffrage come in so short a s< period of time, but it is coming! That ti is sufficient encouragement to us to rj keep up the agitation. ai If the ballot has been so degraded that the women will be contaminated jn by the exercise of the franchise it is a v< poor argument in favor of continuing the men in absolute authority. Most of the hypocritical cant about N women being the queen of the home and heart, and that therefore they are jn disqualified for suffrage, is a creation ]j( in the brain of thi veriest egotist. w ' w "Can any good thing come out of w Nazareth?" asked a doubting man in f r the olden time. Can any good thing come out of equal suffrage?" asks the doubter of today. "Wisdom is justified bv her children." rc There are militant suffrapists and ni there are peaceful suffragists. It is tV not one whit strange that a great 111 movement develops some extremists? the wonder is that this movement has e( developed so few rabid advocates. a' It is mighty funny to hear the illit- cc erate whiskey-soaked lord of the v.i household declaiming against equal In suffrage. The trouble in such cases is that men of that calibre are afraid of C< the ballot in the hands of the women, si a tit l-i ? ? * ? ' women ougni not to nave me Dal- vj lot, says a leading light of Union, they will always vote for the best looking a} man." ci An enthusiastic young thing reply- p( ing said: "I know one Man(n) that will always be elected." cc ci The suffrage question resolves itself rr, into a question of education. South Carolina is behind in education, there- af fore the subject of equal suffrage is jn not understood and is not popular. What the people need is information. or To paraphrase what some one said 0( about missions, pj If you are UP on suffrage, cr You can't ho DOWN on it. se Ono move on the part of the sufTra- 03 or gists that the members of the male persuasion should commend is the protest against the rapid and unrcasW? oning changes in women's fashions, emphasizing the point that the slavish following of fashions in dress is " furnishing a just basis for criticism of the whole movement toward emani /. cipating woman. vi This should appeal equally to the mosshaek who thinks a dress should be worn until it wears out, and to the stingy man who hates to come across is with the money for his wife's Easter w? bonnet. Take note, unbelievers, that wl even women suffragists are capable of en passing sensible resolutions. de It is not that the women seek politill office for themselves that gives etermination to their efforts to secure [juai suffrage. Ic is because they esire to have a voice in deciding who :iall bear rule over them?this is a prfectly good democratic idea. One smart youth tauntingly reiarks, "How would a woman look it. police uniform." That is not the uestion, beardless youth?it is a uestion of wha tsort of a male bipod to be allowed to wear a policeman's nifomi. We don't care a rap for earing the uniform ourselves but it lakes a considerable difference to us hen it comes to deciding just what >rt of man is to be put into so rejonsible a rdace. "AS THE TWIG IS BENT." If we "cannot teach old dops new icks" at least we can put the suhtct squarely before the you riper penration that ipnorance may no lonper ? an excuse. 'OMEN NEEDED ON SCHOOL BOARDS. To my mind, one stronp arpument >r woman sufTrape is that their judpient and common sense are needed in 1 matters that pertain to education -to schools. Gen. Irvinp Hale of Colorado says. The extension of sufTrape to women is made it easier to secure liber;.1 ipropriations for education. Men may ? deeply interested in the welfare of lildren and desire them to have the jst educational advantages, but with lem it is a matter of dollars and :nts (and as few as possible)?beend this, most men are too busy or >o indifferent to give the matter their ;rious consideration. They haven't me to study the problems of well-armged school rooms, proper sanitation id ventilation, etc. Women would take a more vital invest in the selection of teachers and i the performance of other duties dejlving upon the school trustee. When women vote we will have betr schools. 1 t OT FOR THE LIMELIGHT GLARE, i Men, or rather some men, have the ripression that the women who beeve in equal suffrage are the women j ho like to be in the public eye-women 3 ho want a finger in every pie?ov 1 emen who espouse the cause of r;u'- j oiin^jiy iu aiiraciiun micniion. But they are mistaken. < It takes courage to advocate an un- < >pular cause. We women of today 5 'alize this, and honor the pioneer woen suffragists for the brave stand , ley took, and the hold fight they 1 ade. Many of the women who advocate jual suffrage are timid, and nalur- . ly retiring, and it is only from a nse of duty, and the courage of liieir < mvictions that they join an organiition that is working to give the lllnf A uTAmAM There is a member of the Union ounty League who has seriously con dercd the questions for years, but is only recently openly expressed her ews. So although our friends may not ;ree with us, we beg them to give us edit for sincerity and an honest pu> >se. Though our firesides are our first msideration, we realize our duty as tizens, and desire the ballot that we ' ay bear our part of the burden, for * e feel that by our vote we may ; isist in the general solution of social, j dustrial and educational problems. It is not because we wish to antag lize the male voters that we have 1 ganized. It would be easier and ! easanter to wait untli the lords of cation awaken to the situation, and <. e how much women are needed to I irry on the campaign for good gov- 1 nment and public reforms, and come * us and offer us the ballot. Hut rerms are not brought about in this J ay. { so we just put aside our real old- i ne feminine fear and took the fir-.t s 1 ep. We may not win our battle today or morrow, but the time is coming when J rtory will crown our efforts. A DOUBLE STANDARD. , One of the mockeries of civilization the double standard for men and j )men. The time is approaching len this manifest injustice will be ded. It is not so much the mere sire to vote?to exercise author- t 4 ity, that is stimulating the movemen for equal suffrage, but the inhuma and unjust situation so often re vealed. Women must be "good" an yet submit to being governed by th laws enacted, enforced and often vie lated by "bad" men. It is the hypoc risy of the thing that is working s mightily towards securing the ballc for women. The women have bee protected, pampered and petted t their hearts content, now that the have been thought worth educating they are beginning to think?that i one penalty that is exacted of th trained mind. A box of "sweets" is not enough t satisfy a hungry mind. We do no believe that women will lose one whi of self respect, nor will they lose thei modesty. There are modest men, al though the number may be small, an they are immodest women?let us hop that the number is small, and is grow ing smaller. A modest man will al ways be held in high esteem?a mod est woman will likewise be held i; the same esteem. The right to vot will not rob women of their modestj it did not rob men of their modestj The presumption that man is wo man's superior has caused the trou ble. It is hard for even the presen day civilization to get away from th cave-dwelling, brute force rule of th past?"might makes right" when th mind is darkened. But it will no succeed in doing this when mind dom inates. Sensible men and women hav long since reached the conclusion tha equality, nor inferiority, nor even su periority, is the goal that women seek they demand a fair field and an enim chance. They demand that the ma has no right to go unwhipped of jus tice when he violates the moral law they do not ask that the standard fo women be lowered but they do as that the standard for men be rasiec That is what they seek, and they wil demand it until it is given to then The ballot will be a mighty weapon i the hands of the women that wi! enable them to fight to that end. ORGANIZATION OF THE UNIOl EQUAL SUFFRAGE LEAGUE. On Friday afternoon, Nov. 24, 191t an enthusiastic body of women and^c few of our "fellow" citizens met ii the Chamber of Commerce to hea Mrs. Harriet Powe Lynch, presiden af the South Carolina Equal Suffrag League, present the subject of equa suffrage. This, she did in such ai able manner that, at the close of th speech, a movement was set on foo ;o form an Equal Suffrage League ii .ne city 01 union. The organizatioi was at once effected. The followinj ladies were elected officers: Mrs. T. C. Duncan, president. Mrs. Jas. Mixson, 1st vice president Mrs. W. E. Thomson, 2nd vice pres dent. Mrs. S. S. Linder, 3rd vice presi lent. Mrs. W. T. Beaty, secretary. Mrs. J. Cohen, treasurer. The following is a list of member shin: Mrs. J. I). Arthur, Mrs. W. 11 Arthur. Mrs. N. E. Hrennecke, Mrs IV. T. Boaty, Mrs. J. C(?hen, Mrs. W II. Cobb, Mrs. T. C. Duncan, Mis [jouisa Duncan, Mrs. W. VV. Finlay Miss Eliza Garner, Aiiss Blanche Gar icr, Miss Maud GoforCff,' Mrs. .T. G ^ioinpr, Miss Mary .Jones, Miss l.udii Jordan, Miss Maud Kincannon, Mr? J. T. Kellar, Mrs. Florence Binder Miss Katharine Layton, Mrs. S. S hinder, Mrs. J. W. Mixson, Miss Caro Robertson, Mrs. I;. M. Rice, Mrs. J r. Storm, Mrs. M. B. Sumner, Mrs. L 3. Southard, Mrs. W. E. Thomson Miss ^Katharine Thomson, Mrs. J.. G Vounpr, Mrs. J. B. Williams, Mis Pansy Watson. The Ijeague has regularly monthl; meetings for the transaction of bus ness and a regular study course 01 ;he subject of suffrage. It is hope< n the near future to have one of tht prominent women who represents th< rause to visit Union, and address th< niblic on this subject, which is of sucl dtal interest to the future of oui rreat country. Flirnm?Quite an exciting time a he postofhce today. Mrs. iJongbenl lad just seized Col. Fizz and wai bout, to ^ive him a horse-wbip'pinj 'or his slighting remarks about th( i iff rage cause but by remarkabh nesence of mind he saved himself. Flamm?How did he manage it? Flimm?Told her her nose was ihiny and while she was powdering ii le slinned out. lie?The hand that rocks the cradh ules the world. Don't forget that. She?Then you come in and rule th? vorld a while. I'm tired.?Woman'i 'ournal. Williamsport Grit.?Whatever els? hat new conprresswoman may do, it'i i foregone conclusion she will hav? he last word in every debate. * t GREAT OAK FROM LITTLE ACOR> n _ South Carolina Suffrage League, Fron Weak Start, is Rapidly Strengthening and Developing, e _____ - By Mrs. Henry Martin. As recording secretary of the equa ? suffrage league of the State, I suppos< you wish me to tell you something n of what I have been recording and il o will, I can assure you, give me mucl pleasure to let you peep into my rec ord and see how we have grown. ?' On May 15, 1914, delegates from th( s suffrage leagues of Spartanburg, Co e lumbia and Charleston met in Spartanburg immediately after the federat#d clubs adjourned. These leagues then in their" infancy, initiated anc ^ formed the South Carolina Equal Suft frage league with Mrs. M. T. Colemai r as president, she having just retired _ from the presidency of the federated ^ clubs. Mrs. Coleman's task was no easy e one. Suffrage was a new question among the women of this State. Ig[ norance on the subject was simply of [, gigantic proportions, and to begin an educational propaganda took substantial planning, followed by much hard e work. Suffrage work is mainly edurt cational, and, as our State does nof f. hold an elevated position from an educational standpoint, one can readily understand how much educational work there was, and is yet to be done, t With extremely limited means, this e has been and is hard work, but our e city leagues have grown in number e and our membership in the 18 months has jumped from about 200 to 1,514. In October Mrs. Coleman was ne-essitated to resign from the work whi-h e had indeed become most ('ear- to her. t Mrs. Harriet Powe Lyi.ch vas elected H her successor, and in assuming the work of the office, Mrs. Lynch laid ' especial emphasis on continuing the organization work begun by Mrs. Colen man. "Team work" is her watchword. i_ Let us all over the State rally to her .. call. Let our city and county officers ' work in conjunction with our State ofr ficers until the strength of the union ^ be felt from ocean to mountains. I. Some one has said we suffragists [1 of South Carolina are not doing any j luing, uui wnen 1 ren my JNortnern sisters what we are doing, they look n at me in utter astonishment and say: "You Southern women have undertaken far more than we ever dared to at your age. You certainly are courage4 ous. I always reply: "Yes, we have the courage of our convictions, without V wlufch one scarcely ever reaches his ?-Two years ago we had no n worker^ for equal suffrage in the r State. Today we have 1,514. Surely t in a State that has over 66,000 selfe supporting women (a greater per 1 cent than has any other State of the n Union) the men, noted for their chive airy to their women, will see to it that t this band of workers will have equal n weight with them in making the laws under which they both live and work ? together. If the weight of a vote is an absolute necessity for the safeguard of a man's business, then should not those - 66,000 women be allowed the same safeguard for their business? TEACHERS NEE!) THE VOTE. Reasons Why Teachers Should Work for Woman Suffrage. ( 1. Teachers need the vote in order to have more schools and better schools. Xo appropriation is so grudg^ ingly given as the school appropriation, because the mothers and most of the teachers have no vote. 2. Teachers need the vote in order J to secure adequate salaries. J 3. Teachers need the vote in order to secure tenure of office. 4. Teachers need the vote to help j safeguard the food, clothing, and hygienic welfare o? pupils in their care, all of which things the ballot controls. 5. Teachers need the vote in order to protect the children of their diss trict from the encroachments of child labor employers. 6. Teachers need the vote in order to protect the children from the vicious 1 interests that constantly exploit them, i 1. Teachers need the vote heennse r' they train the citizens of the future ;i and must have practical, first hand , knowledge of government in order to 1 te*ch civics with interest and thorooghness. loin the Teachers' Section of your lo?nl suffrage league! t Votes for Women! g A prominent young lawyer gave as ( hii objection to women voting that e "tl ey were too inconsistent?changed 8 tto ir mind too often." ' Wise men change their minds? fo Is never do." ? k Iverv timo Ihp lp(?islaln?o nf Cni.tl, Ci olina votes against an equal sufi fn pre hill they speak of killing the hill. Bi ; the suffrage question in South ! Cl olina will not stay dead. It is J bo nd to arise. ^ 1 here is only one woman in the j Ui on Equal Suffrage League whose , hu band does not believe in votes for w< nen. Guess who he is. V { TAX ATION WITHOUT REPRESENTION. i This is the basal theme of woman's suffrage, and this, should be sufficient reason for right thinking men to permit the suffrage extended to women. There certainly is nothing fair, nor 1 equal, in making a woman pay heavy ' taxes upon her property, and allow~ ing her no voice in the management t of that property in municipal or State ? government. Is this justice? We presume that this is an inheritance from old Mother England where J women are not taken into account - where land and inheritance is con cerned, the estate always going to the eldest son. There is no provision for womeh as they are never supposed to I be landed proprietors. Now that a goodly per cent of the American women have incomes, and I are investing in real estate it is time I to overthrow this idea, just as we have many other narrow prejudices with ' which we have formerly been buri dened. The American woman can teach the women of England a great deal in this campaign for suffrage. ' True they say we do not understand conditions there, possibly not. Still I it is always conceded that women can accomplish more by diplomacy than force, and while militancy gained yery little, except antagonism, for the cause in England, the American women were working slowly but surely, gaining ground every day, and will before many years have most of the United States under their banner, for they ' have taken the method of the crow and the pitcher. The crow, half dead with thirst, came upon a pitcher which had once been full of water, but when he put his beak into the mouth of the pitcher he found that onli* a very little water was left in it, and that he could ! not reach far enough down to get at it. lie tried and he tried, but ftt last ! had to give up in despair. Then a thought came to him, and he took a pebble and dropped it in the pitcher, then he took another, and still anoher, at last he saw the water mount up near him, and after casting a few more pebbles in, he was able to quench his thirst and save his life. "Little by little does the trick." C. McC. Patrick. AN INTERESTING LETTER FROM A WOMAN WHO HAS VOTED. Union, S. C., March 12, 1917. To the Woman Suffrage League: Dear Friends: It gives me great pleasure to write you a few words in behalf of suffrage. T am very much interested in the upbuilding and welfare of our dear old Southland and especially South Garolina and may the < time speedily come when the good wo- ' men of South CarolinaJcan cast their vote for good government and hold up the high standard of democracy. 1 Five years ago I visited in Idaho there ; I saw the effects of woman suffrage 1 there they have compulsory education, eight months scMool with competent ' teachers and if a child stays from > school one day it has to carry a written excuse from its parents. They 1 have State-wide prohibition with the law enforced; you don't see blind tigers walking the streets. I had read < and heard of the wild West but to my very great surprise I found conditions far superior to some parts of i my native land, and its all due to wo- ' man suffrage. It was the greatest ' privilege of my life to have the pleas- < ure of casting my vote for our be- i loved President, Woodrow Wilson. I i have always felt proud of the fact that j I had a counting vote in his nomina- i tion. On election day they have every thing so nicely arranged and such per- i feet order that a lady can go alone to the voting precinct and cast her vote with all propriety. Husbands and wives go together but they aroji not allowed to go in the same booth together to prepare their tickets, each one goes in a separate booth, there < you have your ticket and a pencil and t no one is allowed to speak to you. You i prepare your own ticket and that is a 1 great thing; you can't take advantage 1 of poor, ignorant people arid vote ' them against their wishes, taking I their rights and privileges away from them. May the time speedily come ' when all the women in South Carolina , can vote, then you will see in a very short time quite a change in political , affairs. With sincere wishes, I am, , Yours respectfully, Ida Merrill. EXPERIENCE PROVES IT. mt _. "77". v i me article which appears in this issue from Mrs. Ida Merrill, the only woman in Union county who has ever , voted, so far as we know, is very read- j aide. Mrs. Merrill lived in Idaho for sometime and while there cast a ballot \ for Woodrow Wilson, and became an ) ardent advocate for equal suffrage. i "Will the coming man work?" was the question before a suffrage league. A dear little girl jumped up and said, \ "He will if I get him." } The first Woman Suffrage convention was held in Seneca Falls, N. Y., 5 July 19 and 20, 1848. i A woman has been appointed assist- i ant attorney-general of Colorado. < , / ! ONE LITTLE SUFFRAGE STATE. f One little suffrage state, Lonely to the view, Didn't go and bust the home; Then there were two. Two little suffrage states, Where the sex was free, Didn't take meu's jobs away; Then there were three. Three little suffrage states, Hollerin' for more, Didn't seem to blight the crops; Then there were four. Four little suffrage states, Helping men to strive, Didn't go and put on "pants"; Then there were five. Five little suffrage states, Deep in politics, Didn't scorn th? frvinrr ?*>? - - ? J ?p I"*" > Then there were six. Six little suffrage states, Voting just like mon, Didn't lack the chivalry; Then there were ten. Ten little suffrage states, Mankind didn't shelve Two more from out the west; Then there were twelve. Twelve little suffrage states, Where the right is great, Heaven speed the happy day; There'll soon he forty-eight. ?New York Press. FOR A' THAT ANI) A' THAT. By John F. Howard. Is there, for honest suffragists, That hangs his head, and a' that? ? The coward slave, we pass him by, We dare to vote for a' that! For a' that, and a' that. But men in New York State will gie A lift next fall, and a' that. Then let us pray that come it may, As come it will for a' that, That sense and worth play fair on earth, The Amendment pass, and a' that. For a' that, and a' that. For a' that, and a' that, It's coming yet, for a' that, That womankind, the warld o'er, Shall voters be, and a' that! NEW SLOGAN: "BALLOTS FOR ROTH" Some some time the National American Woman Suffrage Association has felt that the slogan, "Votes for Women" was not just the slogan that the suffragists needed. Men who were not in sympathy with the cause always hud a feeling of antagonism for "votes for women" as something that was opposed to "votes for m.en," and the national felt that a slogan could be found that would be an improvement on the old one. So a prize of $25 was offered for one that would best express the suffrage demand of the women. The prize has just been awarded to Dr. Eleanor M. HiestandMoore of Philadelphia. The slogan that was submitted by Dr. HiestandMoore was "Ballots for Both." The headquarters news letter in commenting on the contest says: "Dr. Hiestand-Moore in a letter to Mrs .Ernest Thompson Seton, chairman of the slogan contest, explained that she had come upon the phrase while canvassing in Philadelphia during the 1915 campaign. She was showing the suffrage map to an Italian laborer who had declared he was going to vote against the suffrage amendment. "'Women vote in all these States,' she explained. " 'Why shouldn't the women of Pennsylvania vote?' "'Women in all thesa States vo*a and no men?' protested the Italian Ijadv. I run no hnlinvn "Dr. Heistand-More hastened to .? explain that the men voted, too and that the suffragists did not by any means wish to take the vote away from men, but only to vote as well, tvhere upon the Italian bowed low and laid:' Yon vota if you want, but Ans?elo, he vota too.' " 'Yes,' Dr. Hiestand-Moore agreed, ballots for both, Angelo.' " We talk about atwoman's sphere, As though it *ul a limit, There's not a task to mankind given, There's not a whispered yes or no, That has a feather's weight or worth Without a woman in it. ?Anon> mous. Dallas, Tex., contemplates adopting .he city manager form of government. The United States bureau of fisheries now supplies more than 4,000,)00,000 fish specimens anapally to different hatcheries. The production of apples in the United States equals a bushel and a lalf for every man, woman and child n the country. A newly contrived kitchen cabinet ;ontains a rare combination, that of in electric range and a refrigerator, ioth of which are hidden from view iy convenient doors when not in lse. San Antonio was founded more than 500 years ago by the Franciscan nonks. Coming up from Mexico they laimed the country for Spain, laborng to convert the native Indians to Christianity.