The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1920-10-15
To the Editor ocaIa Banner:

To the Editor OcaIa Banner:
The registration of 1920, the most
remarkable ever held in this county,
has closed, and passes into history as
an epoch-making event in the lives of
the women of Marion county.
Just what the result will be, and
how it will affect the homes and gov
ernment of our county time alone
will determine, but being of an OPP
timistic temperament, we are doing
our best to view the future through
roseate glasses.
During the period of registration we
gave all, regardless Of race, color or
sex, a square and fair deal. Our posi-
tion during the work kept US from
publicly expressing our views as TO
the importance and necessity of
large registration.
Inasmuch as we gave all square
deal and the work of registration IS
over we think we should be allowed
the privilege of doffing our official
robe for few minutes and say word
to the white women Of the county, ss-
pecially those of the country districts.
Personally we were opposed to the
franchise. coming from the source it
did; but after it came we took in the
situation and determined to do all we
could to make it success. Many
women, noble and true, wanted the
right to vote, and many women, just
as noble and true, did not want it; but
we had hoped that all alike would re-
ellie that rights and privileges brinS
duties and responsibilities, and ones
duty and ones responsibility cannot
be transferred to others.
Quite number among the best
white women who registered have told
us that they did not want the fran
chise, but as it had been given to all
alike they realized that all alike had
duty to perform, hence they had reg
istered and would do all in their pow
er to make it success to the end
that justice and righteousness might
prevail.
II any woman more than another is
to be commended she is of this class
and we had hoped that every white
woman in our county would realize
what the franchise meant and place
herself in a position where she could
nave a voice in the affairs that mean
so much to the homes of our county.
We desire to commend and praise
the white women of the Ocala dis
trict for the interest they took in the
registration, not only for themselves
but in encouraging and helping others
to discharge duty which alike de-
wolves upon all.
We want to thank them for the ge-
NAL disposition, pleasant and home
like feeling each manifested while in
the office, and we assure them that
we will always look back to our asso-
citation with tim as bright spot IN
our life.
OF the 511 who registered only
three side-tracked our request for
their age, and handed US lemons..
These three, however, are good wom-
en- and prominent in the social life Of
Ocaia. With this statement the pub.
lie viii have to guess if it want to,
fer the public VIII never know their
names.
OF the $50 negro women who regis
tered in ocala we will refer especially
to four. One of these was iIthy-Iook-
ing, filthy dressed, and though her
statements were made under oath, we
doubted their correctness. Two of the
others seemed to be too young, but we
had 10 take their statements and put
their names on the book. The fourth
one presented herself and under oath
stated her age as 20, so W relieved her
of any further work, but we believe the
same one came again several days aft
erwards with the name slightly chang
ed and with different residence num-
ber-but perhaps there will be more
said of this case later. All Of the 9TH
ers were nicely dressed, conducted
themselves in commendable way
while in the Office, and were cour-
.teous and respectful in answering the
questions propounded. We assure
them that we appreciate all this, and
We are sure that there is no town in
the state that has higher, If as high,
a class of negro women as OcaIa.
During cur work there were some
little incidents that we will mention.
One girl came to register and stated
that she was a Red Cross nurse, and
because of her high rega. e~v tsv-+