The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-04-03
The Women's Campaign.

COLUMBIA, s. e., March 3oth.-shall
South Carolina women vote? It is not
80 long ago that the mere asking of the
question would have. been sufficient to
establish ones reputation as crank, but
to-day great many OF the best thinkers
of the State are pondering how it shall
be answered. At the session Of the GEN.
eral Assembly in 1893 Gen. R. r. Hemp
hill, Of Abbeville, introduced in the Sem
ate bill providing for constitutional
amendment admitting women to the
polls, and while the proposition excited
some levity, it developed unexpected
strength when tho vote came.
The approach Of the Constitutional
Convention has aroused new interest in
the subject, and the South Carolina Equal
Rights Association, Of which Mrs. Vir-
glnia D. Young, Of Fairfax, is president,
Is arranging for its thorough discussion
throughout the State.
"In April" said Mrs. Young to rep
resentative Of The World, "the National
Woman Suffrage association will send
Miss Elizabeth u. Yates, Of Maine, to
South Carolina to deliver series of ad
dresses. Miss Yates is woman of
charming personally, as well as an efec-
tive and magnetic speaker. She is well
informed concerning Southern conditions
and believes In restricted suffrage, but
not sex restrictions. She will speak
from Southern standpoint, and will
advocate an educational qualification.
"Our association will ask the constitu-
tional convention to give woman the bal
lot, coupling with 1t an educational quail
ification, or, If we can't get that proper
ty qualification. This will insure white
supremacy, which Southern white
women are as anxious to preserve as
Southern whito men can be.
II expect to accompany Miss Yates
during part Of her tour Of the State. Miss
Helen Morris Lewis, native Of Charles
ton and mem Der Of an old South Caro-
lima family, who is now resident of
N. c., will also participate in
the campaign, and has already made two
speeches, both Of which were we'll re-
ceived. Miss Lewis is an eloquent
speaker. Miss Laura Clay, of Louisville,
KY, is another who has been invited to
come down and help us. She is an orator
of the fervid southern type and has great
persuasiveness."
In reply to question as to the present
condition Of the movement in South Car
olina, Mrs. Young added: "Our Associa-
ton has 125 active working members,
and, may say to their credit, they never
fail to pay their dues. We are receiving
constant accessions. We have conside-
rable groups Of woman safagists in Lex
ington, Abbeville, Columbia, Fairfax,
Beaufort and Greenvllle, and there are
smaller groups in many other towns.
Latterly the tone of the press has been
very favorable to u.s."
Mrs. Young is perhaps over-sanguine
OF the popularity of the movement among
the women Of the State, but that it is
making masculine friends is not to be
disputed. At least three leading weekly
papers have recently espoused the cause,
and many others, including prominent
daily, are friendly to it. 1t was recently
stated that Senator Tillman had become
convert, and that he would advocate it,
on the ground that with The ballot given
to women it would be possible to disfran-
chise large proportion of the negro
voters without the States suffering a
lessening of it's representation in Con-
gress.-Cor. N. Y. World.