The Pensacola journal., 1920-04-08
OUR AUNT SARAHS.

| Kentucky family, the members of which have
played important part in the history OF the
nation, purposes to for United States SENATOR
provided the suffrage aSndment to the federal con-
stitution is ratified by the necessary numbers OF
states.
Horror of Horrorsi Southern woman. running
for public office and that office Of the high
est in the gift of her state. How the Florida
Times-Union must shudder at the thought How the
editors OF that able sheet must writhe in agony OF
spirit, as they vision the disgrace to womanknd,
that of these bold creatures OF a new era
should far forget her place in the scheme OF
| things as to ask the people of Kentucky to send
Washington. to act their representative in
one of the most important positions the nation has
to offer.
But one who has met Miss Laura Clay smiles, per-
haps even goes far to chucke. at the thought
of the terrific shock Miss Clays candidacy would be
to all of these narrow, prejudiced newspapers and
politicians, which and who. insist on looking upon
the suffrage of something quite new and
almost If not quite. wicked
Miss Clay is just like your Aunt Sarah, IL YOU
happen to have had one-and most of are ia
miliar with the type. My Aunt Sarah had sweet
strong, womanly face. rather huslE voice. will
| OF her own. a mind of her own. and heart OF gold
She habualIy black dresses, and little black
shawl about her shoulders And she read much and
| thought much beloved OF everybody. and ap
woman of the old school of the South placing her
God first, and doing her duty each day. it was
revealed unto her.
/ The first time MISS Laura Clay, she
was seated with group of the most distinguished
women of this country, in upper corridor Of the
La Sale Hotel in Chicago. In that group DR..
Anna Howard Shaw, at that time the official head
of the American Woman Suffrage Association; the
daughter of the late Mark Hanna. Mrs. Medill Nc
/
committee OF the suffrage association; Mrs. Helen
Gardn0, noted writer sociology, who has recent
~ been appointed by President Wilson to a high
position the civil bureau Mrs. Janass
Laidlaw, long connected with suffrage activities
in New York state and of the most beautiful
women of this any other country; Mrs. Grace
Morrison, of Chicago. who looked if she might
have stepped from old frame, lovely and
picturesque, charmingly feminine she.-but
on whose slender, sloping shoulders the arrange
ments for this great convention of women,
ably carried; Mrs. George Bass, of Chicago,
derful moving spirit wherever she goes. and versed
as few are in Illinois and national politics; and
many others, whose faces L to learn to know
and who to give to the Of this
country the ablest direction that has given
to any group Of women in all the history of the
world.
/ Probably not one of these women remembers
l just of the spokes to the big wheel of
which for long they have the central pivot
l had my very best bib and tucker. for 1 was
stranger in strange city. And somewhat
astonished at the way the other women, the not
able dressed. Later learned to pick
my great women by the inconspicuousness of their
clothes and the conspcousness Of their intellects
Mrs. Medii Mccormack probably the wealth.
est woman at that convention. She had inherited
her fathers millions. She was entertaining hun
dreds OF women at this great hotel for three whole
days. at her own individual expense. remember
that never her in evening dress but once and
that the last evening at the close of the three
day and night convention when she gave ban
quet in the roof garden of the La Sale At other
times she wore either plain dark blue serge a
little pin check suting, made without the slightest
e adornment of trimming. and her hair was parted
5 in the middle and knotted low on the nape of her
e neck as simply it is possible to Golf the hair
j Dr. Shaw always dressed simply. But Miss Laura
clay Deat them all. She wore black dress and
: a black bonnet and little black shoulder shawl,
: just like your Aunt Sarah and mine-and she sat
in the center of that admring throng in the corri-
dor that night. and later spoke to the convention
IN that delightful husky voice that learned to love-
And she could give any 1 know aces and spades
and beat him, when it came to politics
:; These women were called in convention for the
purpose OF passing resolutions condemning the tao
tics Of the militant sufragiss of this country head
It ed by Miss Paul. who had been heckng the pres-
dent OF the United States and to consider the ad-
VlsaDllity OF substituting amendment for the
susan b. Anthony amendment hoping thereby to
overcome some OF the prejudice which had arragned
: itself against the amendment known by that name
e lhs was afterwards proven to be not feasible but
the impetus given to the work of the congressional
: committee, and the resolutions sent to President
n wilson, went far towards the ultimate passage of
the Anthony amendment