Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1922-06-24
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M1a1iOnDdYies
B1.ideSPLa1j
PAYS HIGH TRIBUTE
TO MISS LAURA CLAY
Writer In Lexington Herald Tells
of Great Life Work of
Daughter of Madison

Editor Lexington Herald:
As one reads Mrs. Carrie Chap
man Cats list of the twelve
greatest women it is as if one had
selected a nut without a kernel,
book without a hero, a party
without leader. There is no
doubt that the women Mrs. Gait
named are worth of note, some
internationally, others nationally,
others of restricted territory, but
when it comes to naming the
great among American women,
like Abou ben AID hem, Kentuc-
ky's Miss Laura Clay leads all the
rest.
The daughter of Gen. Cassius
M. Clay-the Lion of White Hall
"a diplomat of the old school,
polished, brilliant, who while am
bassador to Russia cemented the
friendship of that country for us
at a most vital and critical period,
the browning act of whose life
was to be the father of such
brilliant daughter.
Kentucky has the proud dis
tinction of being the birthplace of
/ two women in the roster of great
ness. The late Mrs. Madeline
Mcdowell breckenridge is one
whose name will go down in his
tory as one who not only loved
her fe1lowmen, but the love took
the form of deeds as enduring as
marble, as lasting as brass, who,
though comparatively young
woman, was, like Miss Clay, of
brilliant intellect and of national
flames While Miss Laura was a
pioneer in the cause of woman's
suffrage movement, Mrs. Brock
inridge was follower and CO.
worker of no mean repute. 9th
ers may carry on where she with
folded hands laid down, but none
can take her place, as no other
can ever be. to the women at
large what Miss Clay was and is.
Miss Clay stood and worked for
the cause of equal rights when
eggs, stones, derision, insults, con
tempt were the weapons used
wherever woman dare raise
her voice for the ballot. Calm,
cool, of magnificent leadership
and sound judgment, unusual
poise, tenacity of purpose, undis-
mayed, she advocated and still
advocates every movement that
has woman for its beneficiary.
Firmly but not aggresively,
held in reverence and esteem by
both men and women, never for
self aggrandizement, she is one
like, like Paul at the feet of Gam
aliel, to whom all the younger
generation of women, as we'll as
those of her own, seeks for adj
vice, instruction, sympathy, uD
derstanding and comfort in hours
of stress and toll, an she has
never been found wanting.
Staunch and true in the hour
when woman suffrage was near
its fulfllment when the slogan of !
many was, "Any old way so we,
get it." Miss Clay unswervingly
stood for State Rights, and while
she longed for the goal of her life
work yet she said better never
than to override the rights of the,
states; that we had waited this
long for suffrage and what was
ten or even twenty years longer
rather than undermine the foun
dation of true democracy by re-
moving the corner stone OF State
Let me quote just one of the
many statements from her store
Of wisdom: particular attention
is called to the dangers of that
power conferred in Congress to
legislate in state elections. Such
a power in the federal govern
ment was never contemplated by
the trainers of the Constitution
Of the United States"
If state control of elections IS
abridged, or destroyed in practice
BY new power Incorporated in
the Federal Constitution with no
corresponding cons ltutlonal
check provided, Congress will be
come possessed of an autocratic
dangerous to our tree m
,titutions. and one, which can be
urned with equal facility against
my section of our country when
political or commercial interest
S strong enough to dominate
congress- All of the MANY
thousands. who stand for State
2iohts knew that when the pages
# history would unroll that Miss
laws views would prove pro
het;c. but little did they think
hat the present and not history