The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-17
TAXATION STUDENTS MAY VISIT ALABAMA FOR 1916 GATHERING Butler County Man Dis gusted at Sight Equal
 Suffrage at Polls NEGRO WOMEN ARE
 VERY CONSPICUOUS Thompson Gathers Impression That Ladies at Denver Polls Are Those
 Seeking New Forms of
 Amusement

H. A. Thompson of Greenville, who rep resented Alabama in the convention of the National Taxation association, which came to an end in Denver Saturday, is in Birmingham with the positive statement that the taxation system of Alabama is abominable and firmer conviction that woman suffrage is deplorabe
 That the 1916 convention of the associa- ton will be held in Birmingham or Mont gomery is the belief of MT. Thompson The convention of next year will be held in San Francisco. MT. Thompson, after delivery of Alabama's invitation in the form of telegrams from the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, the Montgomery Business Mems league and the governor. addressed the convention, and made use Of the argument that Alabama, in view of it's anticipated system of taxation, need ed the enlightenment which the associa- ton could furnish
 ",rhe convention was highly successful, said MT. Thompson. ''rhe association is composed of students of taxation repre- senting every state of the union, it's members being officials of cities and states. and students of political economy. The system of each state is studied in the conventions, and while the Denver convention declared the systems of Ari- zona, Colorado and Ohio the most satis- factory in the United States, its verdict in regard to Alabama was altogether un- complimentary.
 Females at the Polls
 On September there was an election in Colorado. In Denver I had fine op- portunity to study women at the polls. In one booth five women served as man. ager and clerks. I saw men and women- white and black-fiocking together, pre- pairing ballots and casting them. The sight within itself was disgusting.
 While l watched fashionably dressed woman rushed out from the booth and urged her husband to advise her. He declared that it was contrary to law for him to interfere with the prepara tion of her ballot. The wife, returning to the booth, cast her ballot. She later rejoined us. l asked her for whom she had voted. She declared that she had forgotten. l asked her for what she had voted. She declared that she did not know. l next asked her why she had voted She stated that someone had told her to vote
 She later admitted that it was alto gether the fashion in Denver for women to vote. I noted that those who cast their ballots were well dressed, pam pered society women-the type which is ever seeking new forms of amusement and negroes. Very few women of the class which works and which might be affected by the result of an election, par ticipated Negro women. however, were happy as negroes are when they in dulge in a picnic It was great day for them They gloried in their moment of social equality.
 The Suffragette's Effect
 After having observed conditions al the polls. I spent several hours inquirins of conditions in Colorado since the women have been given the ballot. Members of the convention in which l served as q delegate were city and state officials and college professors. The overwhelming majority of those I questioned very can. didly admitted that women as factors ir politics were failures, that they had done nothing to elevate man, and had los much of that femininity which is theirs by nature. It was my observation. also
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