Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-03-23
WOMEN ShOULD LAST BALLOTS
 IN PRIMARIES
Mrs. T. T. Gotham Gives Many Good Reasons Why
 Women Should Vote.

Many Coed Reasons Why
 Women Should Vote.
 The the women eligible to partici- pate in primary elections in Arkansas under the Riggs law, should qualify by paying the poll tax because it is duty, a patriotic duty, was urged as the first reason why women should pay the tax by Mrs. T. T. Gotham, in an address before large meeting of women at the Hotel Pines yester- day afternoon. Mrs. Gotham spoke here under the auspices of the Jef- ferson County Equal Suffrage Cen tral committee, and was introduced by Mrs. A. w. Troupe, acting chairman of the committee.
 A second reason urged by Mrs. Cot nam why women should vote in the next primaries is to checkmate prob able attempt by alien enemies and sympathizers with the Prussian gov ernment to elect men who may be in accord with them or lukewarm in their loyalty to the American government in the war. She pointed out that Ar kansas was one of eight states in the union which extend the privilege of franchise to aliens who have taken out their citizenship papers-that IS, aliens who have filed declaration of intention to become citizens of the United Staes.t Mrs. Gotham said she had information that proved that Ger many is spending immense sums in this country in spreading Prussian propaganda, and that the women should be prepared to check any at thru the ballot box.
 Should Fight For Ballot.
 Mrs. Gotham called attention to the great number of young men who have left their home communities to serve in the fighting forces of the nation, practically all of them voters, and ex- plained how this weakened the Demo- cratic party in Southern states. She stressed the fact that this offered op- portunity to Republicans to obtain control of affairs in counties where there is heavy Republican vote, and said that if the women desired to pre- vent such political disaster they should be prepared to act, and that they could act effectively in only one way: by obtaining the privilege of the franchise, and exercising it when once obtained. In this connection, Mrs. Gotham urged the committee to con- municate with delegates to the con- stitutional convention, urging them to support a woman suffrage clause in the new constitution. and with can didates for the legislature, to ascer- tain what will be their attitude to- ward the Riggs act, the speaker seem- ing to apprehend an attempt to re- peal the law at the next session of the legislature.
 Warns Against Grafters
 Another reason Mrs. Gotham gave was that by the withdrawal from the community of so many young men, who are with the army or navy, there is a chance for a few men to obtain control of public affairs. She said the women should pay the poll tax and thus be in position to have a voice and prevent public offices, schols anod other institutions from getting into the control of men who would manage them in any way ex- cept for the benefit of the public.
 In the course of her address, Mrs. Gotham mentioned that the Arkan- sas delegation to the woman's suf- fragists' convention in Washington was the only one to have a conference with President Wilson, and that this incident obtained for the state nu- merous favorable articles in the news papers of the capital, of New York and and other Eastern cities. The con- ference was arranged for the delega- tion by Congressman Carraway, she said. That Arkansas was the only state able to report solid delegation in congress favorable to the woman suffrage amendment also was cause for pride, Mrs. Gotham said. Both senators and all the seven congress- men from Arkansas favored the 
 Plan Active Campaign.
 Mrs. Cotnam's talk enthused the suffragists present. and they determ- ined upon an active campaign thru out the county to have women pay the poll tax before April 10. Plans for this campaign are to be made im- it was stated.