The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-09-12
THE DUTY OF THE PRESS.

the South have been urging that
southern men and women put aside
prejudice and in the light of facts,
seek to so meet their duties to their
state and their country through the
ballot, as to make impossible that
ever again this section OF the coun-
try suffer from the misrule to which
it has been victim in the past.
The following excerpt from an edi-
torial appearing in the Times Union is
an indication of what the woman's
vote is expected to mean to this state:
1T is probable that woman's suffrage
will fully double the republican vote
of Florida and by this we mean, make
it twice as large as it would have
been if the amendment had not been
ratified. There is every sign that
without this amendment it would have
| been THREE or FOUR times as large
as it has been in many years. 1t is
the duty of all democratic women to
register and vote"
Yet, the Times Union knowing this
to be true, the Tampa Tribune, know
ing this TO be true, and the Miami
Herald, knowing this to be true, made
no effort towards the enfranchisement
of the women of Florida, have held the
| women of the country who have been
| contending for the ballot up to ridi
Guile, time and time again. and have
not attempted to clear the situation
in this state and TO bring home to the
women or the men the fact that the
woman vote is necessary in the South
for the maintenance of democracy.
These three newspapers have a
wide influence. 1t is refreshing to
see, in spite of their lukewarm utter
ances in favor of the woman vote, that
they have ceased TO jibe and are lend
ing their columns to the publicity nee
| essary to bring home to the men and
women of Florida the fact that unless
the women of Florida vote, and in
large numbers, the knell of democracy
may be sounded.
1t has taken a long time for these
newspapers to rouse from their leth-
! argy, and still their editorial utter
ances are tinged with large adul-
iteration of cheap flattery or lordly pat
ronage. It is time for the men of
Florida TO awaken to the fact that we
are engaged in a political campaign
of great import. It is perhaps nat
ural that the Times Union and the
Miami Herald, always reactionary,
and leaning towards republicanism.
should not have given a very active
support to the movement for the en-
REIMBURSEMENT of women, but in
paper of the Tribune's known demo-
cratic standing, the attitude of flip
pancy and luke warmness towards this
question is inexcusable.
The most important question before
the people today is the woman vote in
the South. The Times Union has
truly said that without this vote the
republican vote in Florida would have
been three or four times as large as
it will be, with that vote.
But it must be remembered that the
republicans are very active in the state
at this time, and the democrats, for
some reason impossible to fathom, are
very passive There are republican
women in Florida as well as republi-
can men. 1t is the duty, then, of every
woman who does not want misrule IN
this state to register at once, and to
cast her vote in November. That the
great majority of women in Flori Ia
win vote the democratic ticket, if
they vote at all, may be taken as a
foregone conclusion.
But it is the duty of the democrat
ic men of this state to take no
chances and to do their part in edu-
eating the women to the need that the
state has of their vote. 1t is thu duty
of these men to vote themselves. And
it is their duty to cease their futile
harangue about the color line and to
see that the white line toes the mark.
To the person who lis fairminded
there is nothing more disgusting than
the twaddle about the negro woman
vote. The man or the woman who in
dulges in such twaddle is paying the
white men and women of the South
a very poor compliment. Let the
white men vote and let the white
women vote in the South and there
will be absolutely nothing to fear for
democracy.
A vote is not vote until it is in
the ballot box, and the possible vote
of the women will mean nothing until
it is utilized. Let the women rally to
the call of the South and let the men
rally with them. and there will be no
danger of anything but a democratic
majority when the votes are counted
in November. Let the women fail the
South. and the democratic vote will
depend upon the women of the West
and the East.
Let US not fail to view this as a
serious problem, and urge upon the
women to register at once and to
let nothing stand in the way of their
vote in November.
TO THE WOMEN OF EscAMRIA.