The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-10-13
women FIGHTING
TO AVOID BEING
D|SFRANCH|SED


threatening to take the warpath as
the result of failure of the election
commission to provide proper regis
tration facilities for registering
those women and men who for one
reason or another must register dur
ing the supplemental period or be
disfranchised.
Many of the women leaders are in
high dudgeon at the election COM
mission and some of them express
the belief that there is a sinister mo-
tive back of the failure of books and
registrars to be provided at the
booths advertised by the commits
sion. Women are volunteering their
aid to act as registrars, and in many
cases, where the books failed to open
Monday, they were open Tuesday
with women on the job as registrars.
In some instances the booths were
1'1 charge of a lone woman, the other
registrar having signed a number of
certificates and gone about his other
business.
Leaders among the women voters
state that the action of the election
commissioners In failing to provide
adequate registration facilities bids
fair to have the effect of multiplying
the action of the recent special ses-
sion of the legislature in ratifying
the Nineteenth amendment.
Leaders among the women stated
that at IL recent open meeting volun-
teers signed cards stating their will
lingness to serve as registrars and to
70 anywhere they were asked to go.
sta hot
not state that every precinct in the
city was represented among these
volunteers, the women stated that
cards were signed by women from
every part of the city, 1"'' :
On the other hand the commissions
ers reiterate the statement that they
are exertihg every human endeavor
TO open the booths Judge D. b.
Puryear stated Wednesday morning
that he had been kept on the run
since Monday morning in an effort
TO get the books open and registrars
in charge. He said that while he
was willing to give any information
possible regarding registration, he
had been immeasurably hampered by
women calling him on the phone and
asking where they should register,
what ward they lived in, etc. These
questions. he said, kept him from
pushing his duties Of seeing that
proper facilities were provided for
registration.
Wednesday morning, the only pre-
Cinct where there were no books or
registrars, according to the commits
sion was Battier's Pharmacy, the
First precinct in the Fifth ward.
Books were sent there Tuesday MORN
ing and it was stated at the pharma-
=, Af,Y- ,f In
commission, made personal effort
to secure registrars, but failed. Cne
man having refused on the ground
that the pay for a days work would
not buy his dinner. The books were
later sent for by the commission for
fear they would be lost. The COM
misSioners promised that every effort
would be made to open this booth be-
fore Wednesday afternoon.
The commission has announced the
following changes in registration
booths: First precinct of the Fourth
ward, lobby Y. NJ. C. A. build
ing; first precinct, Sixth ward. bar
Der shop, 224 South Main; second
precinct, Seventh ward, Sheely's
drug store, Vance and Lauderdale:
second precinct Fifth ward, Taylor's
drug store, Vance avenue and Third
Polk and Mckinley; first precinct,
Twelfth ward, 967 Pennsylvania
avenue: second precinct Sixteenth
ward, the home of Mrs. D. j. Nc
Grain, l408 Carr avenue.
Third precinct, Thirteenth ward.
on the porch of the custodian of
a. b. Hill school. 34l Olive street
Registration for both precincts of the
Third ward is being held at Ginno-
chio's, corner of Second street and
jefferson avenue. The books for the
First precinct of the Twenty fifth
ward were delivered to Copelands
Pharmacy, corner Of Wellington
street and Walker avenue Wednesday
morning and the registration was
taken care Of by two women Volun-
teers The booth for the Second pre-
cinct of the First ward opened
Wednesday morning at Levy's Drug
Store on North Main street.
Booths in the city are expected to
close at 8 o'clock. In the country pre-
cincts booths may close at o'clock
or may be held open until o'clock
at the option of the registrars.