Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1916-07-27
:. !. i i !. 4 :. 4 !. j. :. !. :. i ::
THE SUFFRAGE PLANK.

! "We recommend the extension :
i OF franchise to the women Of the !
= country by the states upon the =
! same terms as to men," \
I. 4 :. < !. !. 4 - y \ X \ !. !. !. !. =
1t was the above little plank that
inspired GOV. Ferguson of Texas to
mount the platform in the Coliseum
and read minority report withhold
ing the party support from the ladies'
who want the vote. That the Demo
cratic party should scorn the political
eXigencies of the situation and defy
the ~ western states in which women
vote was the burden of his argument.
Sharing the same opinion with him
were G. L. Bartlett of Georgia,
| Stephen B. Fleming of Indiana and
Jim" Nugent of New Jersey, the old
time enemy Of President Wilson This
trio signed the minority report with
the Texan.
Lined up against Gov. Ferguson,
who acted as spokesman for the mi
nority, were Senator Stone of Mis-
souri,, Senator Pittman of Nevada and
Senator Walsh of Montana.
Senator Walsh did not mince mat
tiers in his argument for the adoption
of the suffrage plank He stated plain
| ly the adoption of the plank was
necessary as a matter of political ex-
pediency, adding that the present
political situation in this country was
condition and not a theory.
The states in, which women vote
control 81 votes in the electoral col
lege," he said, adding significantly,
every political party has declared for
woman suffrage in some way or other.
1t becomes simple question whether
you will incur the enmity os these
women.
Now, my : friends" he continued,
''as late as 1907 there were but two
states west of the Missouri river that
returned Democratic senators and now
We have Is of them. The question is,
are you ready to surrender the Is
votes you have in the United States
senate and turn them over to your
political enemies?"
In conclusion, Senator Walsh said
that he revealed no secret when he
said President Wilson knew all about
the suffrage plank.
"The president believes it vital to
his success that it stay in the plat
FORM" he said. Il ask you in all the
fervor of my soul, who is there wiser
or more patriotic than hep"
Following Senator Walsh's speech,
Gov. Ferguson was allowed five min
utes for rebuttal. The vote was then
taken and his minority report voted
down, after which the original suf-
frage plank, as approved by the reso-
lutions committee was unanimously
adopted.
The Women Delegates.
The presence of the Is women dele
gates at the Democratic convention
not only added color to the affair." but
changed the views of number of the
men delegates on the subject of po-
litical activity for women. For the
women delegates were fine, whole
some-looking lot and they fought just
as enthusiastically for the best inter-
ests of the party as the men.
Three of them, Miss Mary E. Foy
of California, Mrs. T. s. Talliaferro
of Wyoming and Mrs. w. A. Harris
of Kansas, spoke before the resolu-
tions committee in favor of the suf-
frage plank which the National Amer
lean Woman Suffrage Association pre-
scented to the convention.
One of the other delegates, Mrs.
Teresa E. Graham, of Idaho, was NOM
mated by the National Democratic
committee to be one of the committee
that will notify Vice-President Mar
shall of his nomination.