Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1893-05-25

AAoPB oui VIZ hVNti
Dodge Centre, MINI. Fanny L. Fancher.
EDUCATED WOMAN SUFFRAGE NEEDED IN
TENNESSEE.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn, Nov. II, 1892.
Editor Woman's Column:
Your article entitled "A Singular
Spectacle" impresses me with peculiar
force. Election day has just passed,
and some queer ene were witnessed
by u woman taxpayers. For myself,
! have paid taxes and supported my
family for twenty years, and to stand
on one side and look ON was not con
ducive to serenity of soul. / saw ne
groes-dozens of them 80 drunk that
they were not upright in any sense of
the ~word-come from a political head
quarters near by, with their tickets
marked and ready for them to dupli-
cate. These we're ''citizen voters"
They owned nothing, never expected to,
and did not want to; but they could
vote. Hundreds of taxpaying, property
owning, intelligen women had no voice
in the matter.
Not long since a local election was
being held. l had at the time two men
doing work in my yard. On election
morning both laid down their tools
just where they were using them, leav-
ing postholes open to the menace of
passersby, and went up ito post der
votes" For three days the unfinished
work lay as they left it. Money from
Washington had come down, and out
side city limits barrels of whisky were
on tap. My workmen were useless 30
far as any labor was concerned. Add
ed to this, they had been induced to vote
for a special tax (afterward repealed
on property, which vas beyond every
thing in its injustice. These men had
no property interests, never would have.
The city cared for their vagabond chill
dren, educated others, and buried their
dead. They could vote yet the wo-
men who had for years owned property
and on this property had paid taxes or
seen it sold, had no voice whatever in
municipal or governmental affairs.
This object lesson, 80 forcible and
pointed, converted me from a strong
anti suffrage woman to an ardent sup
porter of all means, measures and laws
that shall give equal liberty and equal
rights to all. This must come. Pro-
tected by an educational and owner
ship provision, it must come. And
when it does, 1t will not be long until
an educational and ownership provision
will exclude the voters from our jails
and prisons, and the illiterate element,
native and foreign as well.
was particularly impressed by an
incident thatoccurred in an early morn.
ing street car after MI. Cleveland's cleo
ton to the Presidency eight years ago.
There were but two other occupants of
that car besides myself, one a burly,
pompous negro, the other a mirth low
ing business man of the city. The latter
greeter lin" as he entered, and said:
well, Jim, how does the election suit
your" With a pomposity not to be
transferred to paper, the voter replied:
u hears dat US how now de Dimicrats
is ON top dat we all's must own a hun
dred dollars worth of house stuff and a
sewing masheen, else we can't no more
vote. If OATS de case, dis yer niggar
got to hustle and git en-
The key to the situation was given in
African dialect. If education and prop
erty ownership were made the basis of
the right of suffrage, black and white
would today be a long way in advance
OF what they are. With women, edu.
Gated women, at the polls, there would
come an uplift in political circles such
as this republic needs, and needs now
with greater force than ever, since the
refuse of foreign nations has been del
uging our shores in the ratio given us
Tor the past year. The gravity of the
situation is impressive. Can we learn
the lesson of the hourp l have not
written this for publication as a whole
But If it contains anything that will
influence or aid the cause, you are wei.
come to the facts and opinions. N.B.E.