Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1889-06-20
A SUFFRAGE DEBATE:

aho htbfhk OoHOFNtiOu SpcdNb I0T NOm-
ans Acknowledgement - Wisdom From
the Mouths Of Babes
A recent letter from Harrisonburg,
Va, to the Woman's journal, contains
the following:
Your renders may like to hear how
interest in the cause is waking up in a
Virginia village. or, rather, to watch
the course OF straw to show which
way the wind blows.
II attended a few week ago, meet
ing OF cooking club, the members of
which. half a dozen young girls, pre-
pare q dainty little supper and invited
their boy friends to spend an evening
enjoying the companionslhp OF the
young cooks, and eating the fruit OF
their industry. The meetings are mer-
ny little affairs. and it would be hard to
find brighter set of young people
than those gathered at the fortnightly
reunions OF the F. c. g. c. On the
evening Of which l speak, after the
ordinary amusements at chjldren's
party had been exhausted, debates
were proposed. The idea was Gag
erly taken up, and brief debates were
held on several of the questions dear
to the hearts of school boys and girls,
such as. Resolved, that the execution
OF Andre was unjustifiable' One of
the girls proposed a suffrage debate,
and, though the young lords Of creation
scoffed at the suggestion at first, it was
agreed upon; the question was duly
drawn up, Resolved, That the right of
suffrage should be extended to women,
and three judges. one girl and two
boys, were appointed. The speakers
on the affirmative were two girls of
fifteen and thirteen. their opponents
being boys of corresponding ages.
1.-The older girl opened the debate,
making taxation without representa-
ton her battle-cry. Her earnestness
was amusing, for she began to speak
before she had taken her stand on the
improvised platform, and when the
three minutes allowed for the opening
speech were up, she left her place re-
luctantly, speaking still as she quilted
the stand.
THE reply of the first speaker on the
negative was clever enough address
for the youthful advocate of weak
cause, but the old arguments of neg
lected homes 'rowdy polls, inferior
intelligence ETC., seemed very trying
to the young suffragists. When he
took his seat the second speaker on the
affirmative rose, her brown eyes flash
ing. n brilliant color in her checks, her
figure drawn to its full height. 'Infe-
rior intelligence had proved too much
for her. She poured out upon her
boyish antagonist a flood OF statistics
that astonished him; then list OF ia
nous woman authors, doctors, preach
ers, artists, poets, lawyers, lecturers.
Evidently this young advocate OF the
cause understood her subject.
1.-THE second speaker on the negative
spoke with less assurance than his col
league as he called his boy compan-
ion, but said that he wanted TO ask one
question:: Would his honorable OPP
ponents vote If they could" Instantly,
both girls sprang to their feet. forget
full of parliamentary rules, and answer
ed in breath. one quoting Grace
Greenwood's spirited answer 10 the
same question, the other saying. Would
we vote If we couldp Would it not be
strange If we didn't when our daily
prayer and brightest hope is that this
right may be granted us? The young
speakers were called to order, and time
for a rejoinder offered the negative side,
which was refused; and the case was
given 10 the judges. They unanimous
ly decided in favor of the affirmative,
and their decision was received with
great applause. One of the girls asked
one Of the judges If he was in favor of
suffrage. i should think So answered
the boy earnestly. Il hope, pray and
believe that suffrage will be given to wo-
men in all civilized countries in five
years Amen, so be itr'