The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-09-09
iSuffragists Challenged and
 Threatened in Open Letter
1Continued from Page oneo

1 saving ourselves and our country from the yellow peril of suffrage.
 "The insinuation of Miss Davie and the frequent charge by members of the suffrage party that the anti-ratifcat.on 1 league has as it's purpose the re-elec- tion of Senator Oscar Underwood to succeed himself is false as the other l charge denied above. Our organization | has no political candidates or affilia- l tion, and in all our conferences the | name of Mir. Underwood has never been mentioned except when reviewing among ourselves the false statements of the advocates of suffrage in relation ts the anti-ratificat ton league
 l 'One of the sources of your greatest amusement and sarcastic comment is thc apparent inconsistency of our organ5a- ton in having small group of women at the capital when the legislature s in session, in view of our protest against women in politics.
 America is peace loving country. We l believe in law and order, but when the principals of law and order were violated l by the Germans, young men of Amerca | by the millions volunteered or submitted to their country's call to cross the seas and engage in bloody combat. For like reasons we are at the capital. We are q l small company of volunteers who submit ourselves to the disagreeable position of lobbying in order to save ourselves and our ow-country-women from such dis tasteful business, and that in a greater degree, for all time to come
 l ANONYMOUS LETTERS ''We. the undersigned members of the 1 lanti-ratifca ton league in the unwelcome role of political gladiators," that phrase | that gave you such cause for merriment. have been the recipients of a number of anonymous letters of most lbelous and | insulting character. While we do not assume that these letters eminate from l the suffrage association officials, they have come from sympathizers with the cause of votes for women, who dared to i write them upon official state house let terhead stationery their authors being T too cowardly to sign their names. These letters have come through the United States mail, and acting under the advice of our legal adviser, Hon. John Tyson, former chief Justice of the su- preme court of Alabama and for forty years consistent prohibitionst, we have turned them over to the postal authorities for investigation as to their source
 If arrests follow it will be in the in- terest of that decency and for the pro- lection and sancticity of wonanhood fof which we are speaking and in whose be- half we are acting. The guilty parties will of course, be willing to stand the consequences of their improper acts. ' WOULD NOT SEDUCE HONOR
 The naturalization league disclaims the intimation made by the press rep resentative of the suffrage association, Miss Dave, that we have attempted to induce members of the senate or legis- lature to break their pledges to their constituents. We believe that we live under representative form of govern ment and that the Alabama legislature represents the will of the people of Ala barna In those counties where suf- frage was made a campaign issue, if the representatives were elected upon that issue they would stand in honor bound by their instructions. We would not attempt to seduce them from prin- ciples of political honor. For we be- lieve that mans public obligations should be as dear to him as his private obligations and principles
 "In no case have we asked any mem Der of the Alabama legislature to vio- late his pledges or the instructions of his constituents We respect and ad- mire honor and courage in men, just as we respect and admire courtesy and fairness between women and between men and women.
 NOT PURIFIED BY WOMEN
 "One of the suffragists arguments throughout the country is that women will purify politics. We take this me- dium of calling your attention to some of the incidents that have transpired in this connection during the sittings oi the present legislature, and especially in relation to the struggle of your or ganization for the ratification of the Susan B. Anthony amendment. There is not a member of the senate who has not been importuned by your members to vote for the amendment. This in tho face of your knowledge that in many cases the wor dof honor of the senator was pledged to his people against suf- frage. You were asked by some of these senators if you did not think as honorable men they should keep their word and vote against ratification, but ycu still persisted in your irfsportunitiee for their vote. So persistent were your advocates in one case that the senator told you with some asperity that God himself could no. make him false to his l promises.
 r 'Is it not true that on Tuesday just about the time the vote was to be taken, that five, more or less, of your members sent into the senate and had as many members brought into the lobby with the hope of detaining them until the vote was taken and by this means secure the ratification of the amendment?
 twill such political sharp practice by women politicians purify politics? We think not
 "One word that your members have employed in your lobbying that has been particularly objectionable to the ! organization for which we speak is your misuse of the word justice. You are asking the men of Alabama to give Justice (by which Eou mean the vote) to the 10 per cent of the women of the state whom you claim want the ballot.
 We beg to remind you of that his toric scene at the peace council in Paris when some misguided advocate of the Hun begged that the armistice terms be made easier in the name of l justice. Justice" roaded Clemenceau, justice" but let us also have justice for the millions of men who died in this war-justice to outraged Belgium and devastated France. Let's be just to all
 "We ask for justice for those women of Alabama who do not want the bal lot. Ten per cent of the women of Alabama should not seek to force their will upon 80 per cent who do not want the responsibility of government added to their domestic and civic burdens. This 10 per cent must pay the price that all large minorities have to pay. They must submit. or as some of the suffragists advocate. they must bring on revolution Erith due consideration,
 MRS. JAN f.S ;. PINCKARD.
 Chairman 'Vorrau's Standardization League;
 MRS. CHI q AslJsgS x THIGPEN. "Chairman sssisl4 live c mmittee;
 MRS OEM0Nls sC'Ai ERvILLE.