The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1914-03-28
Mr.. RANSDELL VOTED ON WOMAN
SUFFRAGE.

w. w. SudluUGIldlu Iii IN. ". lIclu.)
Senator Ransdell has proven him
helf the real champion of the white
women of Louisiana.
Senator Ransdell of Louisiana, Sen
ator Lea of Tennessee, and Senator
Sheppard of Texas, deserve the thanks
of every one who believes in, and
wishes for white supremacy in the
South. They are the only Southern
senators who put aside race prejudice
and looked at the amendment, giving
votes to women, from a practical, COM
mon sense point of view.
We know that there was great pres
sure brought to bear upon the sena-
tors to defeat the amendment. This,
of course, was expected from the ants,
and it was a great surprise to learn
prominent suffragists actually worked
against giving women the vote.
Senator Vardaman, of Mississippi,
said to be an avowed suffragist, voted
against the amendment, letting his
prejudice get the better of his judg-
ment In proof of which let Senator
Vardaman take a poll of women both
white and black who could possibly
vote under a reasonable educational
qualification, and it will show in any
part Of his state, from Vicksburg, its
largest city. to its smallest hamlet,
that the white women who could so
qualify would outnumber the negro
women a thousand to one. This is
true in every other Southern state,
and always will be; not only will he
find this SO at the present time, but if
he will take the trouble to make a
census each spring, of graduates from
the public schools in his state, he will
find thousand white girls graduating
to one negro girl; thus fitting them
selves to become co-workers with their
brother for the building up and gov
erning of their state, if given an op-
portunity.
If Senator Vardaman will look a lit
tie closer he will learn that the white
girls completing the high school course
greatly outnumber the boys This is
so in all other states and always will
be. Therefore if our government is a
government "of the people, by the peo-
pie and for the people," why deny the
better educated part of the people the
right to participate in said govern.
ment?
Add the votes of the white women of
the South to those of the white men of
the South, who could vote under an
educational qualification and then add
those of the negro men and negro
women, who could vote under the same
qualification, and the whites will so
greatly outnumber the negroes land
always will that the race question, in
so far as it applies to politics, will be
settled forever.
1t is claimed by some that if the bal
lot was given to women the good white
women Of the South would not vote.
If it was pointed out to the Southern
white women that by casting their
votes with their fathers, husbands,
brothers and sons they would forever
rid their beloved Southland of the fear
of negro domination, is there a man
living in the South, much less one with
the intelligence of our senators and
congressman, who would dare stand up
and say they would fail in their duty?
If any of the younger men think so
let them ask the first gray-haired man
they meet, who is wearing a Confed-
crate button, if the women of the South
can be relied upon to help protect the
honor of their state, when duty calls.