The Washington herald., 1921-04-07

btoh, Oh new OfleAhs, seen yeSter-
day at the clubhouse of the League
Of American Pen Women.
Instead they should align them
selves with the better elements Of
the two great national parties,
South, should follow the Demo-
cratic standard.
n Mrs. Bankston Is a member of.
the National Woman's party. and
was a delegate from Louisiana to
the recent convention. Of that or
ganixation. Her opinion is worth
something. as she was one of the
pioneer suffrage workers in Louis
lana, having had an active share
In the movement for the last twen-
ty-hve years.
IT admire the women leaders Of
the National woman's Party" said
Mrs. Bankston. TO me they typify
the courageous. forward-lookin
spirit OF the American woman
alert, vigorous, ready to do and
dare anything for the cause they
are convinced is right"
Mrs. Bankston typified the same
spirit in Louisiana in the days Of
reconstruction. following the Civil
War.
And It is a courageous woman
that admits to knowing those days.
and moving in them" Mrs. Banks
ton said with a smile.
WAS UNIQUE FIGURE
IN EARLY DAYS.
Mrs. Bankston was a prominent.
and in those days. a unique figure.
in the struggle for representation
in Congress and for the removai or
political disabilities from Demo-
| cratic Southern Congressman.
Shortly after leaving college Mrs.
Bankston taught a free school be-
cause there were no teachers.
'In 1870" Mrs. Bankston said. IT
was stirred to the heart to see that
under the black and tan regime.
negroes were on public school
boards"
'T sent for the president Of the
| board" she continued. "a negro by
the name of Gla. and demanded
that white children be given
schools. He deferentially replied
that the white people had never
asked for a public school.
II replied. I now make applica-
tion for them
His response was. IF you get
the ten children and secure the
school-house. will give you the
certificate. since you are . college
graduate
This was soon accomplished, and
in this way we started the first
public school in East Carroll Par
ish after the war between the
States"
Mrs. Bankston was the FIRST prin-
cipal. and at the same time served
as primary instructor. She taught
all grades until the school grew
and many teachers were added to
the faculty.
One of Mrs. Bankston's distinc-
tions Is that she was one of the
earliest newspaper women in the
South.
Her husband had always discour-
aged the idea Of embarkinE upon a
journalistic career. but after his
death she assumed control of the
East Carroll Democrat
AID IN ELECTING FIRST
G. Q. p. LOUISIANA GOVERNOR.
1t was partly due to her work
that John McEnery. the first Re-
publican to sit in the gubernatorial
chair Of Louisiana, after the war.
was elected. His election was fol-
lowed by the administration of
Samuel McEnery and later Govern
or Nichols. The pen of Mrs. Bank
ston was also instrumental in the
election of Edward White. now Su-
preme Chief Justice, to the Cnited
States Senate.
A recent magazine venture, The
Mississippi Voice." undertaken in
company with Miss Fannie wolfson
and other representative Louisiana
women leaders. was discontinued
upon the entry of the United Statet
into the world war
The loss of both husband, and
son, followed by the loss OF an
adopted daughter, led Mrs. Bank
ston to divert her mother love from
an individual to a universal field.
and her later years have been given
to the improvement of education in
Louisiana and to general philan-
thropic work.
Mrs. Bankston served as the FIRST
vice president of the Louisiana Ed
ucational Society. She is the au-
thor of several volumes on a varie-
ty Of subjects. Some of the titles
are The Press-the Literature Of
Power" The History Of the Miss
fssippi Valley Campaig and Camp
fre Stories" while plantation
Stories of Faithful Slaves" is a
work just completed.
DEPLoREs Loss
OF MISSISSIPPI TRADE.
The steady decline Of the Miss
issippi as a trade channel is de-
plored by Mrs. Bankston. who de-
ciares that government aid is the
only means of overcoming the com
petition Of the railroads.
Only the other day 1 heard Of
an instance in Florida where "A
large tract planted to lettuce had
been ploughed under by the farm
ers because high freight rates pre-.
vented profitable marketing" she
observed.
Mrs. Bankston has been identi-
ned with wide range of patriotic
and ciyic movements. She is a
member of the Daughters of the
American Revolution. the Daugh-
ters Of ,177S-1s12. the United Daugh,
ters Of the Confederacy. the Loui-
siana Colonials, the Louisiana His
torical Society, the Home Eco
nomics Society and other associa-
tions.
Mrs. Bankston's books will be on
exhibition at the Authors Book
Fair Of the League of. American
Pen Women to be held next week at
tn New Willard.