Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-07-04

BY refusing the perfectly reasonable
request, legitimately entered, Of GER
tain advocates Of woman suffrage in
Georgia that they be permitted to
use the Senate chamber for a meet
ing, at a time definitely sure not to
conflict with any bushes Of the Sen
ate, 1t is extremely doubtful whether
any amazing amount Of glory or
erected a perpetual monument to it's
common sense.
That is the way a great many peo-
pie appear to view the matter, any
way!
Moreover If the Senate is opposed
to woman suffrage, which it is agreed
all around It has a right to be, 1t
doubtless. has helped the cause rather
than injured it in Georgia by refus-
ing the request noted.
Woman suffrage may not be popu-
lar IN Georgia-on the contrary, It
may be more popular than some folks
imagine-but certainly its advocates
thus far working in the open are
women Of extraordinary intelligence
and marked conservatism of action.
To deny them a request that would
have been granted, readily enough, to
the State Democratic executive com
mittee, say, Is not particularly con-
vincing in the minds Of some people
fs & kor
ror or monstrous wrong.
To be sure, the women may hold
their meeting elsewhere, but in view
of the fact that all sorts of political
meetings have been permitted in the
Senate chamber-which Is a public
place--and all sorts of people per
mitted to speak therein, in season
and out, the needless turning down of
a handful Of women, DESTROYS of hold
Ing a welfare meeting in hehalf Of
their own organization, seems to
have been rather out of place, If not
absolutely cheap.
The Senate of Georgia before this
time, however, has strained at gnats
only to swallow Camels subsequently.
was not loathe to let it be known
that II could do that old act itself, II
occasion seemed to require the per
Torrance.
II is the opinion Of a number of
people that the Senate's refusal OF
the request of the women involved
was extremely ungracious, to say the
least OF 1t!
1t should be borne in mind that
neither Representative Macarthur nor
Representative Browning, of the new
counties Of Wheeler and Bleckley, re-
spectively, were expelled from the
House.
Both gentlemen had been sworn
I'm, but that fact did not make them
members de ture of the House, neces-
sarily. The constitutionality of their
titles to their seats was raised and
sustained by the House, and their
seats therefore were declared vacant
or, rather. their seats were declared
never to have existed.
Both gentlemen are very popular
and are citizens of the very highest
integrity and standing. Indeed as a
purely personal matter, the DISPOSE
ton of the House undoubtedly was to
seat them. However, the House after
thrashing the matter out exhaustive
ly decided that the law plainly was
against them and very properly 1t
acted accordingly.
Discussing this matter to-day, Rep
resentative Hardeman. who made a
speech denying the right of the gem
tlemen to their seats, said: 1T is a
tribute to the patriotism and genuine
worth Of the House that 1t acted as
it did in this matter, despite It's heavy
personal inclination to vote otherwise.
My own vote was embarrassing, in a
way-I hated to vote against these
two splendid men, but l could not
afford to do that which / feared would
Legislature, and so l voted as l did.
Il think the George House of this
year may be depended upon to do the
right thing in all matters. judging
by the way IL acted in this very try
ing situation"
Close behind the introduction of a
bill in the Georgia Senate by Hon. J.
l.. Sweat, of the Fifth District Way
cross will organize for a determined
campaign in favor of extending the
State road to the sea, via WayCross
Right of way through Ware has
been pledged, and the county convicts