Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1920-11-07
MAY CONTEST
SEAT OF CRISP
Ruling OF Denny On
Suffrage Opens Way
For Trouble


liable to be the basis of lawsuits in
volving the validity of the election
of one United States senator and
four congressman in Georgia.
The ruling was made some weeks
ago to Governor Dorsey when the
latter was a candidate for United
States senate in the Democratic state
primary, Col. Denny held in the rul-
ing that females of voting age were
not subject to the registration laws
of Georgia for the reason that those
laws were passed to apply to males
only. He held that they were en-
titled to vote in the general election
then Forthcoming on November 2,
and, as necessary consequence,
that Democratic white women were
entitled to vote in the Democratic
white primary
So many dangerous possibilities,
both of political and legal nature,
were involved in the ruling that the
Democratic state executive commit
tee, after several hours of debate,
declined to admit Democratic white
women into the primary. Some of
the members of the committee who
voted against the admission of wo-
men had previously taken a promi-
nent stand in favor of woman suf-
frage. Among these were State
Senator H. H. Elders, who has fought
the battles of the women in the
Georgia legislature for five years OF
more.
Unsound Opinion.
If practically applied, Col. Denny'S
ruling would have meant that any
female could vote as many times at
as many different voting precincts as
she had a mind to, and as she could
get around to in day. 1t would
have meant that droves of repeaters
could have been used at every pre-
cinct if anybody had been mind to
use them, and had found females who
were willing to lend themselves to
such scheme. 1t meant, whether
Democratic white women were ad
mitted to or denied from the Demo
cratic white primary, that negro
women could vote without registra-
ton or regulation in the general cleo
ton.
Hence the state executive commit
tee frowned on the ruling and refus-
ed to let the white women into the
primary.
To the credit of the Democratic
white women. it should be noted just
here that they accepted the decision
of the state committee in good pub
lie spirit and made no protest about
it. When they looked into the sub
iect they perceived at once the rea
sons why the committee had taken
the stand it did They had the in
telligence to see that Colonel Den
ny's ruling, if carried out broadcast,
might imperil the white primary.
They let the primary go by without
an agitation, and when the general
election came along they remained in
the background without protest,
knowing that their demand would at
once prnduce a similar demand
among the women of the other race.
The Republicans, of course, saw
the situation clearly and took advan-
tage of it. They put on their ballot
the name of Harry Stillwell Edwards,
as candidate for the United States
senate, although he had explicitly
disavowed any connection or affilia-
ton with the existing Republican
organization in Georgia. They also
put on their ballot the name of
Thomas E. Watson, the Democratic
nominee for the United States SEN
ate, although Mr.. Watson had ex-
pressly denied them the right to use
his name, and had requested them to
leave it off their ballot.
The Republicans also put in the
field four candidates for congress
one in the First district against Con-
gresham Overstreet, IN the ihlra
district against Congressman Crisp,
in the Fifth district against Con-
gresham Upshaw and IN the Ninth
district against Congressman Bell
Negro Women Apply.
Having thus paved the way Tor
contesting the election, the Republl-
can manipulatorS managed to have a
large number of negro women pre-
sent themselves at divers and sundry
voting precincts throughout the state
and demand the right to vote. Some
~ to 100 negro women managed to
pet their ballots in the box IN the
Sixth ward of Atlanta through the
connivance of a Republican precinct
manager, who had been appointed by
the ordinary at the request of tAeI
Republicans. 4ood
Negro women. it is understood
presented themselves at voting pre-
cincts in all of the other COMPRESSION
al districts where Republican candi~
dates were in the field against ire
Democratic nominees.
Their demand in every case was
based upon the ruling of Attorney
General Denny. They were usually
accompanied by negro men, who Get
ed their spokesman and demanded
that thew be allowed to vote as en-,
franchised citizens whose rights had
been upheld by the highest legal ad-
wiser of the state-the attorney gen
eral Their program had previously
included the sending of a committee
of Republicans to Colonel Denny s
office to procure an official copy Of
In practically every case except
the Sixth ward precinct in Atlanta,
where the Republican manager over
bore the objections of the Demo
cratic manager and admitted the
above mention negro women to the
nolls. no women at all were allowed
Lo+bar uyhitn 0r black.