The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-02-03
VOTES FOR WOMEN.
WOMEN OF SUMTER DISPLAY
MARKED INTEREST IN SUI.
FRAGIsT CAMPAIGN.
Mrs Valentine, President OF the vr-
ginia Equal Suffrage League, Ad-
dresses Two Largely Attended Meet
inga
rom the Daily Item. Jan. 80.

The women Of Sumter are interested
In the suffrage issue. More than two
hundred turned out yesterday after
noon TO hear Mrs. Valentine, presi-
dent OF the Virginia Equal Suffrage
League. discuss the votes for women
Question, and as many or more
heard her again last night. The af-
ternoon meeting for women only was
10 have been held In the Chamber of
Commerce rooms. but at the appoint
cd hour the crowd was so large that
II was found necessary to adjourn to
the court house. Sumter had her
FIRST equal suffrage parade as the
crowd marched from the Chamber of
Commerce up Main street to the court
house. Mrs. Valentine Is said to
have delivered n very instructive and
Interesting address. in which she
briefly reviewed the history of the
equal suffrage movement and gave
a summary OF the important reforms
that IL Is claimed the women have ac-
complished I'm the States and coun-
tries that have extended the franchise
\ co them. She had a sympathetic aud
ience and at the close OF the meeting
q large number OF the women present
signed equal suffrage cards pledging
their support to the movement.
The night meeting for the general
public. to which men were admitted,
was held In the court house at $50
O'clock. The audience numbered ap-
proximately Ave hundred. about one
third being men. The meeting was
opened with prayer by Rev. r. s.
Truesdais and Mrs. Valentine was in
troduceu by Mr.. Hugh C. Tiaynsworth,
who acted as chairman. Mrs. vaien-
tine is an earn and fluent talker.
thoroughly convinced of the right
tousness OF the cause she advocates,
and of the Importance of the mes
sage that she brings. Her speech
was lucid and attractively phrased
resume OF y suffrage issue-histori-
cal political and economic, with
only a modicum OF the senti-
mental aspect OF the question. She
discussed the question with well-con-
sidered restraint. holding her EVIL
dent enthusiasm In leash. and making
no wildly improbable claims for equal
suffrage as the immediate panacea for
Sll the ills and evils-political moral
and economic-from which the world
suffers today and has suffered for
untold ages. She did claim,
and statistically prove, that equal
suffrage has made the infant death
rate Of New Zealand the lowest In the
civilized world. and has increased the
birth rate OF Seattle: but these few
adventures into the statistical Jungle
or tho equal suffrage hand book OF
fact and figures are easily forgiven.
TO say that the address lacked the
charm OF entire novelty would be a
tribe unfair. since practically all
reading people are familiar with the
salient features OF the equal suffrage
propaganda. and n speaker would
have TO be more than human or the
sudience totally ignorant OF current
events to make OF a suffragist argu-
ment n new and novel proposition.
AT the conclusion OF her address
Mrs. Valentine declared her readiness
TO answer any question her hearers
might want to PROFOUND. and several
men asked a few questions of minor
Importance In relation to the main is
sue.
A hand primary was called for on
the question OF vot.s for women. the
men being first put to the test. A
minority voted for equal suffrage but
the large majority were non commit
tai. The women were moro outspok-
en-. large number placing themselves
on record I'm favor OF equal suffrage
and none voting against II.
After the mass meeting had ad-
journed the temporary organization
of local equal suffrage league was
effected with Mrs Nina Solomons as
president: Mrs. 1. c. Noise. secretary
and Mrs. II. ID. Graham. treasurer.