The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-08-18

one has ever disputed) is uttered parrot like by those who seem unable to put | forth any logical argument against equal rights. Some give it as their opinion that the women who wish to vote ought | not to be denied the right. Still others | announce that while they are not willing | to work for the cause they will certainly | take advantage of the privilege of voting | when votes for women Is accom- | plished fact Mrs. French answered.
 No organized effort, I understand has l been put forth by the men of Tennessee for suffrage" I observed.
 Many of Tennessees leading men have | indorsed woman suffrage, although, as you have suggested, no organized effort | has been instituted" Mrs. French re- | piled. The men of our commonwealth | are not so deadly conservative however | as are those of some other of our south | ern states. A leading politician of Ten | nessee in reply to the question, When are | you going to announce yourself for equal | suffrage@ answered that he would do so | whenever any considerable number of the | people of the state manifested their ap- proVal of votes for women.' He then added: Do not try to get an amendment to the constitution of the United States passed, but work only through the state government As this view is held by many, 1t seems well to give some consid- eration to 1t now that Tennessee is on the eve of organizing the forces for a con certed movement for equal suffragA"
 hor party aggrandizement." Mrs. french continued, the blunder was made half century ago of enfran chlsing by means of a national amend ment race born and bred in slavery. the large majority of whom inhabited ie6 hu thaf, owners. The-people of large sections of tnis country forced upon the south dis ladyantageous conditions which they would not themselves share This con ouet IS now pronounced by the judi cious as most reprehensible. Those who suffered this great wrong are in many instances naturally prejudiced against ehfranchlsement by amendment of the constitution of the United States Rut now different Is the proposition of en- 1ranchls1ng the female of a race to that or enfranchising an alien race, The senaies or race are in no sense in- Ieflor to the males of the same race and the recognition of their eoualitv IS In the interest of justice and there- Tore cannot work i'll to the community Class distinction and privilege by Sov- ernments can only work evil to the whole community-never good. The privileged class will assume more and | more tyranical, while those who arc deprived of equal opportunities are Iorced into subserviency, detrimental to strength of character and material interest,"
 Do you find any indifference in the a'i.uue or the women of Tennessee as whole toward suffrage?" I asked | The indifference today of many women Of Tennessee to their right in an equal share of governmental con trol,' said Mrs. French lis due to inc habit of submission. Such women seem 10 be able to sympathize with men in their love of freedom, but are as chiI- dren when the great questions of liner ty and equality are argued in connec- ton with the female sex. Thus is shown one Of the greatest injuries that dis franchisement has inflicted upon wom- an Lack of self-esteem, tendency to De mean in spirit. is a most detri- mental Influence to character build- Ing. The women of race lay the foun- dations of character in the youth and never will man be of the highest type until mothers learn the real meaning of freedom and enjoy it to the fullest extent in all of its phases"
 The argument used by some south erners against votes for women in the south is that it would incre4seS the negro vote" I suggested. What is your opinion along those lines?v
 fhis objection is founded on pre- Judice and not on knowledge or wis dom, was the reply. 'eThe same re- strictions which have been found ef- Iectual Tn controlling the negro mans vote Tn many southern states, would lose none of their force when applied to negro women. Those who know con-
 ditions and have the wisdom to make the proper application, have no mis-
 siVlngs' because the enfranchisement or the women would give the south more than 600,000 majority of white women voters over both negro men. and
 women The white race in the south would therefore gain an added supre- macy. Surely we have many men in the south who are great enough statesmen
 to recognize and take advantage of this situation"
 Conditions are such now that Ten
 nesseeans have the opportunity of talk Ing the lead of the southern states fin
 dolng justice to women," Mrs French
 said proudly "As you know the Ma
 tlonai Woman's Suffrage association is
 to meet in Nashville in November That
 is two moths before the meeting of our
 next legislature. If every man and
 woman In Tennessee who favors equal
 suffrage would make some pronounced
 demonstratlon of this fact during the
 next few months our 1915 legislature
 would be. forced to favor the proposi-
 tion. Early in October the Tennessee
 Equal Suffrage association will meet in
 convention at Knoxville. Every town
 in the state of any consequence should
 send one or more representatives to this
 great gathering, to advocate putting the women of Tennessee on an equal
 footing with those of the states on and inear the Pacific coast. The women of the south are surely not inferior to those and do not deserve to be left in 1.-the condition of the old feudal times Ibecause of the apathy. indifference or ultra conservatism of the men of the