New-York tribune., 1920-05-08
Suffrage Foes
Launch Fight
In Louisiana
Wife of Governor Pleasant
Heads Party Of ''Antis"
Opposed to Ratification
of Anthony Amendment
Makes Appeal in Poetry
Pro-Suffrage Governor r ,
However, Will Be in
Power After MAY 10
Special Dispatch to The Tribune

NEW ORLEANS, La, May Mrs.
R. G. Pleasant, wife of Governor
Pleasant, Of Louisiana, has been elect
ed president of the Baton Rouge Anti
Federal Suffrage party organization
and has issued Clarion call" to the
women Of Louisiana on behalf of the
women of Baton RougN who are op-
posed to the ratification of the Susan
b. Anthony federal suffrage amend
ment. Governor Pleasant also is op-
posed to ratification, but his pro-suf-
trage successor, John NJ. Parker, will
be IN office when the Legislature
meets May 10 to consider the amend
ment.
Mrs. Pleasant has turned to poetry
in calling Louisiana women to arms.
She writes:
He is knocking, knocking, knocking. knock
Ing at the gate.
"ill you permit him entrance, women of
our state?
Come. rally TO our banner. come ehou,
your pride of race.
Your fathers fought for state righta Then
Where can be your place?
NoWnere put meath our standard we've un-
1urled for love OF state
Can you fail to rally to US with the foe
now at your gate?
Mrs. Pleasant continues:
"A forceful and convincing substan-
tiation of our claim that the over
whelming majority of the women of
this community do not want suffrage
is borne out by the fact that in one
days time we anti-federal suffrage
women here have gathered to our
standards far greater number than
the Federal Suffrage party has done
IN Baton Rouge in five years of active
work. The sentiment against the
amendment was there all that was
needed was to bring it out"
Governor Offers Aid
Governor Pleasant was a speaker at
the organization meeting in Baton
pending battle.
There are three views of the suf-
frage question, and there are sup
porters fer EACH" said the Governor
There are those who favor woman
suffrage by Federal amendment, there
are those who favor it by state amend
ment, and there are those who are in
all ways opposed to it. But now the
important matter is the fight against
the first class and the difference be-
tween the others must be forgotten or
the required opposing strength will be
wanting.
Il am in favor of white woman suf-
frage," he continued, "but I am in
favor of it by state amendment and
not by the passage of the Susan B.
Anthony amendment"
Mrs. James S. Pinckard, of Mont
gomery, president of the Southern
Woman's League for the rejection of
the Susan B. Anthony amendment, ex-
planned the purpose and growth of the
organization both in Alabama and
throughout the Southern states. She
stressed the fact that Louisiana is not
represented in the league. Mrs. Pinck-
ard asked that women in the rest of the
Southern states uphold the work of
Alabama and other of her sister states
in rejecting the proposed amendment
and not override their rejection.
In the resolution passed by the Or
ganzation it said:
"We are positively and determinedly
opposed to the ratification of the pro-
posed Nineteenth Amendment to the
Constitution of the United States" and
further resolved that "We appeal to
the eneral Assembly of the State of
Louisiana to reject the proposed Fed
eral suffrage amendment and stand by
the principle of -govc rnment."