The Donaldsonville chief., 1920-05-29
PARKER HANDS OFF SUFFRAGE,

The day after his Inauguration
Governor Parker received very res
pectful letter from President Wilson,
urging him to use his influence in
favor of the woman suffrage amend
ment now before the Louisiana legis-
lature for its approval or rejection.
The governor gave prompt answer to
the message, stating that he finds
that the general assembly greatly diff
fers on the question Of suffrage, some
advocating state measure, others
federal amendment and many being
opposed to it in any form; that all be-
ing Democrats any dictation on his
part would be unWise and he there
fore regretted his inability to COM
ply with the presidents request.
The action of Gov. Parker in de-
clining to lend the weight Of his in
tluence to the woman suffrage amend
ment, even though solicited to do SO
by the head Of the nation himself,
will be applauded by every intelli-
gent, fair-minded and right thinking
Louisianian. The governor is right
and correctly Informed when he de-
clares that great diversity of opin-
ion exists among the legislators, and
he might have added that this diver
sity of opinion is so marked, not only
among the legislators but among the
advocates of suffrage themselves, that
it would be almost impossible even
by the application of the executive
whip, to compel the passage Of a
woman suffrage measure in any form
The truth Of the matter is that
there is not only no popular demand
in Louisiana for woman suffrage in
any shape, but there is positive and
we'll defined opposition to it on the
part of a vast ajority of the peaple,
women as we'll as men, all over the
state.
The only advocates of the innova-
ton are few women, who have ap~
parently mistaken the avocation for
which they were destined by their
Divine Maker, and are wasting away
their time and their best endeavors
in a fruitless effort to force upon
their sex right and privilege
which they do not seek, and which
very few of them would exercise if
it was granted to them.
These women do not represent but
they misrepresent the womanhood of
Louisiana; but unfortunately for
themselves, as well as for the whole
people Of the state, they are buoyed
up and encouraged to persevere in
their hopeless work by the newspaper
notoriety which their advocacy Of the
cause gives them and the assistance
which they always manage to receive
at the hands of some of the politi-
clans and lawmakers.
Here in Donaldsonville and Ascen-
sion parish, the women are practi-
cally unanimous in their opposition
to suffrage. Our women-God bless
them-regard home as their sphere
of influence and there they reign
supreme and they are perfectly con-
tent to assume the pleasant duties and
responsibilities of rearing our boys
and girls; Of teaching them love of
God, of family and of country and
of instilllng into their youthful
hearts the principles of Righteousness, |
justice and truth, and obedience to
and respect for parental authority |
and for law which constitute the |
bulwark of the greatness of our coun-
try: leaving to the sterner sex the
sterner and more complex and oner-
Gus duties connected with govern
ment and politics. /
And there is no doubt that it the
proposition was submitted to vote
Of the entire people of the state, wo-'I