The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-01-21
SUFFRAGE MEETS
DEFEAT INSTATE
Of MISSISSIPPI
Federal Amendment Showed
Under BY Vote Of 106 to rs.
Solpils Afraid Of Negro
oNer.

JACKSON. Miss, Jan. 81. (spl)-
Amid cheers and laughter and after
only 10 minutes OF debate, the lower
house Of the Mississippi legislature this
morning rejected the federal amend
ment providing suffrage for women,
Throughout the brief debate there were
continuous calls for the previous ques-
tons and a determination among the
members to shut off all discussion, The
question was brought up on a concur
rent resolution offered by Mr.. Winter,
OF Grenada, providing that the amend,
ment be rejected as an unwarranted,
unnecessary and dangerous interference
with the rights reserved to the states
and to, the people in both the state
and federal constitution"
Mr.. Winter made a brief speech de-
caring that while ne regarded suffrage
for women as inevitable, he did not
believe Mississippi should sanction this
invasion of state rights,
Mr.. Mitchell of Lee, made a gallant
but unavailing fight for the amend
ment.. He ridiculed the idea that the
amendment Is dangerous, declaring that
all such statements are absurd. He
was frequently heckled by other mem
bers and the question asked why Sena-
tor Williams and all members of the
Mississippi delegation in congress had
opposed the amendment, Senator Will
liams insisting that the word white"
be inserted therein. Mr.. Mitchell ap-
pealed to members TO consider the
amendment as legal proposition and
as a matter Of plain justice to women
and not allow themselves to be fright
ened by the negrob ugaboo. He de-
MED that the measure win open the
Goors for voting by negroes, and de-
clared that no lawyer woh will study
the question can believe that such will
be the case.
Mr.. Sheldon, of Washington, former
governor Of Nebraska, made a powerful
appeal for suffrage for women. He de-
clared that there was utterly no danger
of the fifteenth amendment being liter
ally enforced; that the West and North
have even less use for the negro in
politics than the South. II have an
abiding faith in the supremacy OF the
white people of Mississippi and the rati-
fication OF the eighteenth amendment
will be service of notice on the nation
that white supremacy shall be forever
maintained" he said,
On roll call the Winter amendment
rejecting suffrage was adopted by lot
to %. with nine members absent Those
who stood by the women were Messrs
Abernathy, Boone of Quitman, Brody
Brown, CLANCY, Cox, Currie, Denley
Garner Gore, Henderson, Houston
Johnson Of Jackson, Kennedy Lee
Lumbley, Mitchell of Alcorn, Mitchell
Of Lee, Rees, Rice, Riley, Rouse Shell
don, Sillers, Stone and Tate, Amid
laughter Mr.. Mitts OF Lee wanted tc
make the vote unanimous.
The question was brought up uneN-
pectedly and took the suffrage leaders
completely by surppise There were only
five women in the gallery during the
discussion, and but two Of these wer(
suffrage workers. Mr. Stone of wash
ington offered a concurrent resolution
requesting the prison board Of trustee.
to furnish the following information
Total acreage cleared and uneleared o
the several convict farms; profit ana
| loss OF each farm from 1915 to date
number of conyicts on each farm; de
soriptlon OF physical needs of each farm
| The author stated that this information
is desired in order that the recommen
| dation Of the incoming and outgo!ni
governors for the sale Of Oakley, Ran
| kin and Belmont farms may be intelli
gently considered.