The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-08-13
Il GI 81 A TIL RE TO SAY
# WORLD SRA III NOW
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& RI GHTEOUSNESS RULE ="

RI GHTEOUSNESS RULE "
Raleigh, N, c., Aug. 13.-Declaring
that women should hive the first
right to speak when the issue is
whether or not the world shall hence
forth be ruled by reason and right
eousness or by blood and iron, Gov,
ernor Beckett in special message,
today called upon the North Carolina
legislature to accept the inevitable
and ratify the federal woman suffrage
amendment.
The governor warned MS democratic
friends that the most they would
be able to do by defeating the ratifi-
cation resolution would be delay for
six months movement which you
are powerless to defeat. He urged
them to & cept it is a part of wis
dom and grace, adding that within
the period Of a few months some
other etate will open the door and
women win enter the political forum.
We may just as well realize, gen
tlemen," the governor continued, that
this country is no longer an associa-
tion Of states but nation. Whatever
majority Of the people OF the ma.
tlon want is going to be the supreme
law Of the land.
Whenever / really want to thinl;
seriously about states rights, l go
and muse for an hour over the grave
Of my Confederate grandfather for
realize now more keenly than ever
before that states rights nave pass
ed away
In the famous words of Grover
Cleveland: A condition and not n
theory confronts us. for woman suff.
rage is at hand"
At the outset the governor con
ceded every claim Of opposition TO the
amendment, adding by way Of en-
phasis, that he was in deepest sym
pathy with the sentiment of the anti
suffragists. But ne also emphasized
anew the argument of political eX-
pediency and the honor of the party
and state which, he said, was an
obligation, payment Of which should
be made through formal approval or
the nation wide amendment.
Reitera.tng his belief that a federal
suffrage could not be avoided, Gov
ernor Beckett pointeily asked the as.
semblymen whether they would re-
ceive the new voters with smile or
frown. He appealed to the chival-
ry of the south to give the women a
glad hand. But there I sanother ana
far deeper reason for not delaying
the movement we are powerless to
defeat, he said 1.-THE big question
that is going to be settled in the next
six months is whether this nation
shall enter an alliance with 20 of the
most powerful nations on earth for
the purpose of forever delivering hu.
manity from the burdens and hor-
rors Of war. On that question the
women have a sacred right to be
heard. for when cannon roar the
women furnish the fodder"
Local conditions We're dismissed with
the statement that the governor was
not impressed with the wisdom or
the necessity for woman suffrage in
North Carolina.
He feared, he said, that those wo-
men of the state who did desire to
vote were unconsciously Offering to
barter a very previous brthright for
a very sorry mess OF pottage.
Discussing the effect of equal suft
rage on the race relations in this and
other parts Of he south, Governor
Beckett said:
For 81 years after the civil war
all political energies of our people
were absorbed in the struggle to
maintain in our borders a white
government. For this we fought with
our backs to the wall because we be-
heYed such n government to be es.
sentiaI TO the integrity of the white
race and the survival of white
civilization. The result was that dur.
ing thls long struggle, the line of
demarkation between the two noIi.
teal parties was largely one of color
Such situation tended to dwarf the
political development of our peonIa
for ~ years We have been freed
from the handicap and under the new
order both races have prospered as
never before, While there is stiu
,huch room for Improvement, be.
heVe that today the races are moro
sympathetic than in any, other state
IN the union ! greatly fear that wo.
man suffrage would reopen these ola
questions and force us to fight AGAIN
'he battle for a white government"