The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1921-10-22
WOMEN TO ORGANIZE LEAGUE
OF LINCOLN COUNTY VOTERS
Other Counties Have Already Taken
Step The Prospective
Plans Here.

Because the time seems to be ripe
for the women of Lincoln county to
organize the Lincoln County League
of Women Voters, we will present a
few facts relative to the organiza-
tion, which may be Of interest to
some of our women.
Already six counties and three
cities have organized in Mississippi.
But compared to the other states,
Mississippi has been slow to enter
into the organization Of the Nation
al League of Women Voters, which
has been in existence only one and a
half years. It was organized in
February 1920, and in the year that
has passed, every state in the Union
has created its State League of
Women Voters with subsidiary dis
trict and county leagues until today
1t numbers million women under
Its banner. So far the League has
more than justified the faith it in
spired. 1t has more than realized
the dream of its founders. 1t has
sunk its roots deep down into the
life of forty.eight states. 1t has
come to stay and to achieve, SO long
as women are interested in the
good of the community, and are con-
sc1entious for good government.
Long ago Matthew Arnold wrote
"If ever the world sees a time when
women shall come together purely
and simply for the benefit and good
OF mankind, 1t Z will be a power,
such as the world has never known. I"
That time has come!
Believing that the mere possession
of the vote on the part of the Ameri-
can woman is not enough, but that
she must utilize her vote intelligent
ly for the public good, the National
League of Women Voters and it's
branches, the State Leagues and
County Leagues came into existence
for three purposes: ITO foster edu-
cation in citizenship, to promote
forums and public discussion of
civic reforms, and to support needed
legislation" Therefore the program
is both educational and legislative;
that is, it aims to get behind needed
reforms, and urge their support and
adoption in the platforms of the po-
litieal parties, and their enactment
into laws. After all is said it is an
effort of the women to try to organ
ize for the uplift of the community.
AS to the nature of this organiza-
tion, it is not a woman's party, nor
a separate political party; for its
slogan is Enroll in your existing
party" But it hopes, in the old
parties, to bring new life, and in a
non-partisan way to improve the
machinery of government. 1t will
not support or attack national can
didates, or national parties.
The need for this organization of
women voters is very great. First,
because most women are woefully
ignorant of things political and all
arts and ways of citizenship. And
second because women have before
them the choice of two ways, two
conceptions of the place they are to
fill in the community. Either wom-
ems vote can become a submerged
and deliverable vote controlled by
the old voting machine, and reck-
oned simply in figures, a vote that
always follows the mems vote; or it
can become conscious element in
the body polite, with definite ideals
and demands. AS such, women
gain clear conception of their duty,
that the public welfare comes first
and that improvement must be made
along political lines by the very pres
ence of women's vote. General opin-
ion expects that this contribution to
American advancement be made by
woman's vote, toward the revitaliz-
ing of American democracy. Unless
this is the outcome, unless some
fresh stream of hope, ideals, and re-
form is thus infused into public life,
then the vote will have been thrown
away on woman.
however the League of Women
Voters, through its state and county
branches. offers women the oppor-
tunity to make the vote count for
something, by supplying first the
necessary information and education
along lines of citizenship, and by af-
fording united action. The citizen
ship schools and classes are a most
important part Of the regular work
of the county leagues. Besides this
there are seven other standing, COM