Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-02-11
STATE CONVENTION
GOES TO ROANOKE
Virginia Democratic Executive
Committee Fixes May 1o as
Date for Meeting.
WOMEN MAKE ADDRESSES
MAKE ADDRESSES.
Suffragists Force Hearing After
Tumultuous Debate and Amend
ment Rejection Vote.

Women forced hearing before the
state Democratic Committee LAST nirh,
at its meeting in Murphy's Hotel. but
only after their chief object. the adop-
ton of resolution indorsing equal
suffrage, had been defeated by de-
cisive vote.
While the purpose of tho meeting
was 70 select place and date for The
state convention for the election of
delegates to tho national convention
ana the liking of basis for represcn-
was the question that agitated the
committee from the time it was called
TO order; during the time it was the
1t adjourned.
Friends of equal suffrage prevented
three efforts to adjourn without giving
women chance to present their APP
was not granted until after a resolu.
tion of Endorsement had been voted
down.
Roanoke IL Selected.
The committee without 4 dissenting
holding the State convention and with
equal celerity named May 10 as the
date for the convention. AS basis
aGL Io representation pre- s,as it was AGided 10
cast in the last presidential election
Action of the City Democratic Com
mittce of Richmond in closing nomi-
nations for delegates TO the conven,io
before the convention had been called
was the subject Of n brisk fight before
the committee. with Senator T. J..
position. Senator Downing warned that
the Richmond delegation faced a tight
on the floor OF the convention, and de-
clared that the plan Of the local COM
mittee could be used TO pack the con-
vcntion.
Chairman Rorer A-IJames ruled that
the Stale committed. did not have juris-
5dlction over the atatter and was Bup-
ported by Congressman Hal D. F'lood.
Senator Downing. appealed from the
ruling of the chair, but lost on a re-
corded vote.
Purcell Defends Action.
John NJ. Purcell chairman Of the
City Democratic Committee, and a mem
Der of the State committee, defended
the action of the local body as being
mary in which the delegates will he
elected is to be held on April 8, snd
the law requires all candidates to file
notices sixty days before the elec zion.
He said this action had been taken in
the past and never caused any COM
plaint.
During the whole of the mee ing
women to speak for and against suf-
frage We're made. and suggestions were
in turn hooted and applauded at times
threatening TO end the session. To
uons to adjourn were made, but voted
down on roll call three times.
y resolution indorsing woman SUI
frage was read by Allan d. Jones. OF
Newport News. and amid confusion was
voted down. although MIR. Jones de-
clared that the resolution had not been
to resolution TO permit women pres
ent 20 speak on ii. However, a vote,
was taken and the resolution rejected
decisively.
Contents of Resolution.
The resolution proposed that the
committee recommend to the House
OF delegates that the members stand
by their former action in referring
ratihcation to the people. and urges
session statute as authorized by Ar
ticle H., Section !, Constitution Of the
United States, allowing women subject
vote for presidential electors. 1t also
proposed that the committee urge the
General Assembly to pass Il resolution
submitting amendments to the State
Constitution authorizing complete Suf-
frage for women.
After a recorded vote had granted
the women the floor. Mrs. John Skel-
ton Williams was the first TO speak.
1T has been said in the General AS
sembly and elsewhere as an argument
against giving the woman the ballot
that they are too emotional to vote"
said Mrs. Williams. But after this cX-
hibition tonight thing that argument
VIII nave TO DC WltHuTd"n
Mrs. Williams spoke briefly, her chief
argument being in favor OF refer
endum on the suffrage question.
Scores Men for Attitude.
Miss Adele Clark declared the State
Democratic Committee is not rs demo-
the ballot. She said that there were
men IN the meeting who in 1916 had
voted tn for suffrage plank in the he ma a.
Keep women from speaking. She scored
the "unemotional" men Of the commit
tee for their attitude, and asked IL the
men who didn't want women to vote
wouldn't come around seeking tho vote
of the women after suffrage had been
granted them.
sented by Misses Caroline Preston Davis
and Emma Morris. Miss Davis ridiculed
the suffrage petition with $4,000 sigma.
ten years work. She said tho petit
tions< represented only fourteen out of
each 10000 people in the state. Wo-
men don't want to live under laws
made by women. she emphasized.
Quotes Statistics.
Race rioting in Arkansas Is the di-
rect result of equal suffrage, Miss Nor
rs said. She showed by statistics that
eighteen Virginia counties is.,;as nov % have
and said that it was not going to be so
easy TO disenfranchisc the negro wo-
men as it was tho negro man.
state committeeman present were:
First District--T. $. Downing. i. l.. Ais
worth and Or. Charles V. Gravatt,
Second District--W. w. Sale, Park L.
Third District--,y, d. Csrdwcll. CLYDE w.
saSossIs Fosstn pis,risSHqSers Sni Gillian j. tag
Ior Thompson. H. +. Hutcheson. A. Il.
Fifth Dstriot--'r Turner Clement
sixth District George NJ. Muse. Il. T..
Hughes r. II I.unghprnc 0'-s
Seventh District-R. T. W.. Duke. Jr.. II.
Eishth pistr,ct-G. r. Wallace. Gardner
L. Booshe r. A. MsIntyrc. h.. Y: j. strother.,
DR.. j. d. buchanan. j. Frank wysor.
Tenth Districts. L. Ferguson. w r.
Allen: Ghairman nan norer A. James and Sec