Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-01-25
The Country Home
A word to women voters
BY MRS. W. Fl. FELTON,

There is constant dLCentlOn DelHS
called to the duty Of women voters,
and g. good many people are rising
UP to give needed information to
women voters-such as will comply
with the laws of the land--with q
| lot of caution thrust in, and a
good many unnecessary CALCULATIONS
are heard, as if women have paid no
sort of attention to the duties 81 81
citizenship until the nineteenth
amendment was ratified by more
than three-fourths of all the COM
monwealths composing the present
federal union known as the United
States of America.
Some of the states have had wom-
en- voters number of years. There
hays been echoes in a large number
of states, and it is very dull sort
of a woman, with average educa-
ton, who has taken no interest IN
the subject, until the voting privil-
ege was handed to her.
There has been lively discussion in
years. The Legislature of Georgia
has been importuned time and time
again within the last Ave years to
consider the subject of votes FOR
women. 1t is no new subject, no
surprise arrangement, but 1T mas
been a slow and tedious effort to
islature that the thing was coming
nilly- willy, long before 1T got here.
The story of such appeals, such
entreaties and their consequent fall
ures, is we'll remembered by many
Georgia women who were almost
the first attempts and are now so un-
graciously received that Governor
Dorsey has still delayed a proclama-
ton to the effect that Georgia Wom-
en- are in possession of the right TO
vote in all state, county and munich
pal elections. His disregard OF the
federal law, which requires all. ex-
ecutives to proclaim this federal
amendment to the constitution OF
the United States is still an enigma,
to my mind
Fifty odd years ago the fourteenth
and fifteenth federal amendments
were ratified by more than three
the negro man the liberty to vote.
Georgia ratified along with the
rest Of the southern states, not will
ltngly. I admit that they did rati-
fy. I have in my possession right
now the journals of the Georgia leg
tslature, house and senate, 1S69-7O,
showing these notifications.
Governor Bullock made the proc
iamations as all governors were re-
quired to proclaim. The fact that
negro men were given the liberty to
vote just as white men were allowed
to vote.
amendment was before congress. But
he has never issued the proclama-
ton where these old eyes can. read
it, and l do not understand his hesi-
tation This written law can be
found on the records of every state
in the union except Georgia.
Perhaps this accounts IN some
manner for the multitude Of people,
who are insisting that Georgia wom-
en- need early and painstaking edu-
cation on the subject. Along with
number of Gainesville women l
registered in the courthouse and 1
could have cast my ballot legally in
September primary OCTOBER, turnover
primary, and in the regular election
of November 2. 1 might have raised
a "rucus" at the Barlow county
courthouse on November 2 # 1 had
been so inclined. Possibly would
have met with a denial such as At
lanta women received that Day AFTER
| they had freely voted in 1920 cleo
ton early in the year for city off,
| GERS.
mo woman allowed to vote" was
seen on bulletin boards in various
towns and cities.
I did not choose to present my
aged self for such harsh treatment.
| l could have wired the federal ad-
ministration and demanded protec-
ton for my right had 1 chosen thus
to do, but 1 didn't do it. Neverthe-
less, it was humiliating to know
| that officials were SO incensed
against women suffrage here in Geor-
gia that they disobeyed the written
law in the excess of their indigna-
| ton.
To be very explicit. 1 am also safe
in saying that officials disobey the
prohibition amendment, exactly in
the same way. The law is plainly
written on various great questions
and the state of Georgia has allow
ed officials to dodge, prevaricate and in
many cases defeat the written laws
which their oath demands that they
shall obey.
In reconstruction days there were
many and various sorts of COM
plants carried to President Grant