The History of Woman Suffrage Volume VI Part 58

[172] The gold pen used by Governor Roberts in signing the bill was one used by Dr. John W. Wester when drafting the first anti-liquor bill ever introduced in the Tennessee Legislature, in December, 1841.

With it also Governor Rye signed the Lookout Mountain Suffrage Bill.

It belongs to Mrs. Ford, grand-daughter of Dr. Wester.

[173] Anti-suffragists from all over the State bombarded Governor Roberts with threats of defeat for reelection should he persist in pus.h.i.+ng ratification, many of whom were his strongest friends and supporters. At the special elections during the summer held to fill vacancies in the Legislature several suffragists were elected, among them M. H. Copenhaver, who took the seat of Senator J. Parks Worley, arch enemy of suffrage. T. K. Ridd.i.c.k, a prominent lawyer, made the race in order to lead the fight for ratification in the House.

Representative J. Frank Griffin made a flying trip from San Francisco to cast his vote for it.

[174] Mrs. Catt, Mrs. Upton and Miss Shuler did no lobbying in the State House.

[175] After Mrs. Catt returned to New York she said: "Never in the history of politics has there been such a nefarious lobby as labored to block the ratification in Nashville. In the short time that I spent in the capital I was more maligned, more lied about, than in the thirty previous years I worked for suffrage. I was flooded with anonymous letters, vulgar, ignorant, insane. Strange men and groups of men sprang up, men we had never met before in the battle. Who were they? We were told, this is the railroad lobby, this is the steel lobby, these are the manufacturers' lobbyists, this is the remnant of the old whiskey ring. Even tricksters from the U. S. Revenue Service were there operating against us, until the President of the United States called them off.... They appropriated our telegrams, tapped our telephones, listened outside our windows and transoms. They attacked our private and public lives. I had heard of the 'invisible government.' Well, I have seen it work and I have seen it sent into oblivion."

[176] Burn's vote so angered the opposition that they attempted to fasten a charge of bribery on him. On a point of personal privilege he made a statement to the House which was spread upon the Journal. After indignantly denying the charge he said: "I changed my vote in favor of ratification because I believe in full suffrage as a right; I believe we had a moral and legal right to ratify; I know that a mother's advice is always safest for her boy to follow and my mother wanted me to vote for ratification. I appreciated the fact that an opportunity such as seldom comes to mortal man--to free 17,000,000 women from political slavery--was mine. I desired that my party in both State and Nation might say it was a Republican from the mountains of East Tennessee, purest Anglo-Saxon section in the world, who made woman suffrage possible, not for any personal glory but for the glory of his party."

[Lack of s.p.a.ce prevents giving the names of the immortal 49, which were sent with the chapter.]

CHAPTER XLII.

TEXAS.[177]

For many reasons Texas was slow in entering the movement for woman suffrage. There was some agitation of the subject from about 1885 and some organization in 1893-6 but the work done was chiefly through the Woman's Christian Temperance Union. In February, 1903, a meeting was called at Houston by Miss Annette Finnigan, a Texas girl and a graduate of Wellesley College. Here, with the help of her sisters, Elizabeth and Katharine Finnigan Anderson, an Equal Suffrage League was formed with Annette as president. The following month Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt, president of the National American Woman Suffrage a.s.sociation, lectured in Houston under its auspices. During the summer Annette and Elizabeth Finnigan spoke several times in Galveston and secured a suffrage committee of twenty-five there. With this nucleus a State Woman Suffrage a.s.sociation was organized at a convention held in Houston, in December, which lasted two days and was well attended. Dr.

Anna Howard Shaw, vice-president of the National a.s.sociation, was present at all the sessions, spoke at both evening meetings and took a deep interest in the new organization. Annette Finnigan was elected State president and during the following year made an effort to organize in Beaumont, San Antonio and Austin but the women, although interested, were too timid to organize for suffrage. Mrs. Charlotte Perkins Gilman spoke under the auspices of the league.

The second State convention or conference was held in Houston in December, 1904, Galveston and La Porte being represented. Reports were given and officers elected, Annette Finnigan remaining president. The Houston league had a paid up members.h.i.+p of one hundred, regular meetings were held and the subject of woman suffrage was kept constantly before the public. An effort was made to get a woman on the school board but the Mayor refused to appoint one. Among those active in the work were Althea Jones, Miss Mary W. Roper, Mrs. E. F. and Miss Ruby McGowen of Houston; Mrs. A. Adella Penfield of La Porte, Mrs. C.

H. Moore and Miss Julia Runge of Galveston. The Finnigan sisters were the leaders and the league prospered for several years until they left the State. The movement became inactive and the society formed in Austin in 1908 with twenty-five members was the only one that continued.

In 1912 through the efforts of Miss M. Eleanor Brackenridge of San Antonio and Miss Anna Maxwell Jones, a Texas woman residing in New York, suffrage clubs were organized in San Antonio, Galveston, Dallas, Waco, Tyler and San Marcos. Miss Finnigan returned to Texas and the Houston league was revived. The third State convention was held in San Antonio in March, 1913. Miss Brackenridge was elected president, Miss Finnigan honorary president. The convention was spirited and showed that the suffrage movement was well launched. This was just ten years after the first club was started. Miss Brackenridge possessed large means and a wide acquaintance and gave much prestige to the a.s.sociation. A number of notable speakers were brought to the State and the subject was introduced in women's organizations. This year through the San Antonio league a bill was introduced in the Legislature but never came to a vote.

In April, 1914, the State convention was held in Dallas and Miss Brackenridge was made honorary president and Miss Finnigan again elected president. During the year State headquarters were opened in Houston and the clubs were increased from eight to twenty-one. Miss Pearl Penfield, as headquarters and field secretary, organized the State work. The president sent letters to all the legislators asking them to pledge themselves to vote for a woman suffrage amendment to the State const.i.tution. None of them had an idea that any of the others would agree to support it and a considerable number in a desire to "please the ladies" wrote charming letters of acquiescence. When in January, 1915, they confronted a large group of women lobbyists, experiences were hurriedly compared and consternation reigned among them. "Uncle" Jesse Baker of Granbury, of honored memory, introduced the resolution to submit an amendment to the electors. The Legislative Committee were inexperienced but they worked with such zeal that it received a vote in the House of 90 to 32. It was not considered by the Senate.

Among those who worked with Miss Finnigan during the three months in Austin were Mrs. Minnie Fisher Cunningham, president of the Galveston Equal Suffrage a.s.sociation; Mrs. Tex Armstrong of the Dallas a.s.sociation; Mrs. J. O. Creighton of the Austin a.s.sociation; Mrs. Ed.

F. Harris and Mrs. J. H. W. Steele of Galveston; Mrs. David Doom, Mrs.

Robert Connerly, Mrs. L. E. Walker, Mrs. A. B. Wolfe and Mrs. R. H.

Griffith, all of Austin; Mrs William H. Dunne of San Antonio; Mrs.

Elizabeth Herndon Potter of Tyler; Mrs. W. E. Spell of Waco.

On Sunday afternoon, March 28, Dr. Shaw, the guest of Miss Brackenridge, delivered a great speech in Beethoven Hall under the auspices of the San Antonio Equal Franchise Society, accompanied on the stage by its president, Mrs. Dan Leary; J. H. Kirkpatrick, president of the Men's Suffrage League, the Rev. George H. Badger and Miss Marie B. Fenwick, a veteran suffragist. Many converts were made.

In April the State convention met in Galveston and reports showed twenty-one auxiliaries. Mrs. Cunningham was elected president, alert, enthusiastic and bringing to the cause the valuable experience of work in it for the past two years. The president and new board prosecuted the work so vigorously that during the year there was a 400 per cent.

increase in organizations. Miss Kate Hunter, president of the Palestine league, gave her entire summer vacation to field work.

In May, 1916, the State convention met in Dallas, re-elected Mrs.

Cunningham to the presidency and instructed the executive committee to ask for suffrage planks in State and National Democratic platforms.

The name was changed from Woman Suffrage to Equal Suffrage a.s.sociation and the Senatorial district plan of organization was adopted, following the lines of the Democratic party. When the State Democratic convention met in San Antonio this month to elect a national committeeman there were scores of women in the galleries proudly wearing their suffrage colors but Governor James E. Ferguson and ex-U. S. Senator Joseph Weldon Bailey, both of unhallowed memory, united their forces and woman suffrage had not a remote chance.

Texas women went to the National Republican convention in Chicago in June and a sufficient number of them to form half a block in the "golden lane" at the National Democratic convention in St. Louis. At the latter Governor Ferguson brought in the minority report of the Resolutions Committee against a woman suffrage plank in the platform, and let it be recorded that there were only three other men on the committee who would sign it, the remainder signing the majority report placing the plank in the platform. In August the Democratic convention met in Houston to nominate State candidates and prepare the State platform. Mrs. Cunningham, Mrs. Helen Moore and Mrs. J. M. Quinnof appeared before the platform committee and with all the eloquence at their command urged it to insert a woman suffrage plank or at least to endorse the National platform. This committee was entirely in the hands of the liquor ring and Ferguson was czar of the convention, so woman suffrage was ignored.

Mrs. Edith Hinkle League, the headquarters secretary, shared the president's ten, twelve and even fourteen-hour days of labor, so that Mrs. c.u.mmingham was able to leave the office in charge of her and volunteer a.s.sistants while she helped to fill the pressing need of field workers and organizers. She had the a.s.sistance of Miss Lavinia Engle, one of the National a.s.sociation's organizers. Despite the lack of funds when word came of West Virginia's need of Mrs. Cunningham in its amendment campaign the executive board paid her expenses to that State and she donated her services. Upon her return to Texas she devoted July and August to field work, averaging two or three speeches a day during these insufferably hot months.

When the Legislature convened in January, 1917, the Legislative Committee were on hand. The following report by Mrs. Cunningham summarizes the work:

First. Opening suffrage headquarters on the main street at Austin near the Capitol. Second. A luncheon, at which the attendance exceeded the capacity of the largest hotel. The program was a mock legislative session at which the suffrage bill came up for the third reading and debate, those opposed imitating the style of the leading "antis" at hearings. Third. A very successful ma.s.s meeting at the Hanc.o.c.k Opera House with good speakers. Fourth.

Introduction of the House Joint Resolution for a suffrage amendment, signed by twenty members, including some who had opposed it in 1915. Fifth. Ma.s.s meeting in the House of Representatives the night before the amendment came to a vote, invitation for this being extended by resolution of the House.

Speaker F. O. Fuller presided and House and gallery were crowded.

Sixth. Introduction of the Primary suffrage bill in the Senate and House. Seventh. Introduction of the Presidential suffrage bill. Eighth. Speakers touring the State and keeping the cities and towns aroused; a constant stream of letters to organizations and individuals and from them to Representatives. Ninth. Press work, a weekly news letter to those papers which would reach the legislators; getting in touch with reporters and editors of the large daily papers in the State in Austin for the session. First, last and all the time work at the Capitol, interviewing members of the House and Senate, Speaker, President, and public men who could and if asked might help a little here and there. This work was carried on daily for nearly three months.

It is my judgment that the Presidential suffrage bill could have been pa.s.sed (antic.i.p.ating the Governor's veto though) but for the fact that the closing days of the session were taken up by the investigation of the Governor on charges preferred in the House.

On January 31 the Primary suffrage bill was favorably reported by the Senate committee but was not taken from the calendar. On February 6 the resolution to submit an amendment to the voters received 76 ayes, 56 noes in the House, lacking the required two-thirds. It was not acted upon by the Senate. On February 19 the Presidential suffrage bill was referred to a Senate committee and on the 26th was returned with a favorable minority report but not acted upon.

Early in 1917 the misdeeds of Governor Ferguson culminated and a great campaign was begun to secure his impeachment. He was the implacable foe of woman suffrage and of every great moral issue for which women stood, therefore at the very beginning of the campaign word was sent to the committee in Austin that the State Equal Suffrage a.s.sociation had abandoned all other work temporarily and placed its entire resources at their command. The offer was accepted at once and the character and value of the services which the women performed may be judged from the following statement from D. K. Woodward, Jr., secretary of the Central Committee in charge of the campaign:

The impeachment of former Governor Ferguson could not have been brought about without the cooperation of the women of the State.... Their work was under the direction of Mrs. Cunningham, president of the Texas Equal Suffrage a.s.sociation, who came at once to Austin and established headquarters. The women were asked to reach the remote sections, to eradicate prejudice and leave understanding in its stead.... They did all that was asked of them and more. The most confirmed skeptic on the question of women's partic.i.p.ation in public life must have been converted had he witnessed the unselfish, tireless, efficient work of these hundreds of devoted women and the striking ability of their leader, whose genius for organization, knowledge of public affairs and public men of Texas and sound judgment on all questions of policy were of untold value....[178]

Then came the entrance of the United States into the World War and the suffragists consecrated time, strength, life itself if necessary to its demands. The call to the annual convention held in Waco in May, 1917, indicated with what directness and intelligence the women approached their added responsibilities. It was "a call to the colors," to work for the war. War and Woman's Service; What can we do?

Our Need of the Ballot to do it; True Americanism, were among the subjects considered. It voted to ask the War Department to abolish saloons in the soldiers' concentration and mobilization camps.

Resolutions were pa.s.sed pledging "loyal and untiring support to the Government." The convention expressed itself in no uncertain tones in the following resolution telegraphed to President Wilson: "For nearly seventy years the women of the United States have tried the State rights' route with its long and tortuous path. Since the Texas Legislature has repeatedly refused submission of the suffrage amendment to the voters, thereby repudiating the State rights'

principle of the Democratic party, the State Equal Suffrage a.s.sociation hereby urges your support of the Federal Suffrage Amendment to enfranchise the women of our country."

Mrs. Cunningham was literally conscripted president again, with a budget calling for the expenditure of $30,000 and only $66.38 in the treasury! Other offices were filled and then the women hurried home to engage in Red Cross work, Liberty Loan work, anti-vice work; to knit, to sew, to tramp the highways and byways for the various "drives"; to make speeches before all sorts of audiences--women who a year before were too timid to second a motion. Following the instructions of the convention Mrs. Cunningham in June called together in San Antonio the heads of all organizations of women and out of the conference was formed the Woman's Anti-Vice Committee. Living in such close proximity to the training camps, Texas women early learned with sinking hearts of the unspeakable conditions obtaining there and their efforts to remedy matters and to arouse the proper authorities were strenuous and unceasing. Thousands of mothers whose sons were in training in far away Texas will never know how earnestly the mothers of this State labored to do by their sons as they would have wished their own done by.

The Federal Amendment work was not neglected during this time, neither was State work and organizations rapidly multiplied. The year 1918 is one never to be forgotten by Texas suffragists. January was given over to intensive work for the Federal Amendment. Day letters, night letters and telegrams poured into Congress at such a rate that the national president, Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt, referred to them as the "heavy artillery down in Texas." The Executive Committee of the State a.s.sociation in session at Austin, on the 23rd authorized Mrs.

Cunningham and Mrs. Hortense Ward to call upon the new Governor, William P. Hobby, and ask that he submit a bill for Primary suffrage for women at the special session of the Legislature soon to convene.

A few weeks later the special session was called to consider a number of important measures asked for by the Secretary of War. On February 24 the suffrage leaders came to Austin and established headquarters at the Driskill Hotel, determined to secure the Primary law in time for women to vote in the July elections. While the women were interviewing the legislators Mrs. Nonie B. Mahoney, prominent in Dallas suffrage work, called on Judge Barry of that city, who seemed unfavorable and finally said it would take 5,000 names of Dallas women on a pet.i.tion to change him. He dismissed the subject from his mind and returned to his legislative duties. Four days later Mrs. Mahoney arrived in Austin with a heavy suit case, opened it and unfolded before the Judge's astonished gaze a pet.i.tion containing the names, not alone of the required 5,000 but of 10,000 of his townswomen!

Mrs. Cunningham and her committee again asked the Governor to submit Primary suffrage for women to the Legislature but he delayed. So great pressure was brought to bear on him that he finally consented if they should present a pet.i.tion to him signed by a majority of the members of both House and Senate. After many hours of labor they were able to comply with this condition and to furnish additional data to prove that the bill would pa.s.s both Houses with large majorities. The Governor did not submit it but he did submit the Primary Election bill, and the Primary Suffrage bill was immediately introduced by C.

B. Metcalfe of San Angelo as an amendment to it. It pa.s.sed the House March 16 by a vote of 84 to 34 and the Senate March 21 by 17 to 4, and was signed by Governor Hobby on March 26 in the presence of Mr.

Metcalfe, Captain Sackett, who also labored untiringly in its behalf, Mrs. Cunningham, Mrs. Doom, Mrs. Elizabeth Speer and Mrs. McCallum, members of the Legislative Committee. The handsome fountain pen was purchased for the occasion by Mr. Metcalfe and after the signing presented by him to Mrs. Cunningham. Judge A. S. Lattimore drafted the bill in 1917 and Judge Ocie Speer of Fort Worth the one carried in 1918.[179]

This law gave women the right to vote at all primary elections and in all nominating conventions and nominations are equivalent to an election, as there is practically but one party. As Texas has two U.

S. Senators and 18 Representatives it gave the women votes for more members of Congress than those of any other State possessed, and consequently for more presidential electors.[180]

The remaining days in March, all of April and a part of May were devoted by the suffragists to the Liberty Loan. The annual convention was held in Austin May 29-31. In order to concentrate the entire strength of the organization on war work the delegates agreed not to ask the Legislature of 1919 to submit a const.i.tutional amendment for full suffrage but the women would give whatever time they could spare to the Federal Amendment. The convention enthusiastically endorsed Governor Hobby for re-election and he addressed the delegates. It was resolved to vote only for candidates for the Legislature who favored ratification and to send greetings and letters of appreciation to the "immortal six" Texas Representatives in Congress who voted for the amendment the preceding January.[181] Decisions of importance were to work out a plan whereby women could be educated as to candidates and issues and the machinery of voting; to endeavor to bring out a heavy vote of women in the coming primaries and to organize non-partisan Women Voters' Leagues. Mrs. Cunningham against her determined protest was re-elected president.

The suffrage law did not go into effect until June 26, and, as the primary election was scheduled for July 27 and registration had to cease fifteen days before, the women had only seventeen days in which to register. There was not time to a.s.sess and collect the poll tax requisite for voting and the Legislature added to its good work by remitting it for the election in case of women. The suffrage a.s.sociation set to work to a.s.sist the new citizens. Omitting only the words "official ballot," nearly half a million reproductions of the long, complicated ballot to be used in the July primaries were circulated; candidates' records were scrutinized; issues were studied; "schools of instruction" were conducted all over the State. Women attending the first "schools" held others until practically the city women in every precinct, ward and block had been given the chance to vote intelligently if they so desired and the country women had similar opportunities. All the candidates for Governor who stood for civic righteousness withdrew in favor of Governor Hobby when it became certain that Ferguson would again be a candidate and the women organized Hobby clubs and advertised Ferguson's record. A strong campaign was also waged in behalf of the suffrage candidate for Superintendent of Public Instruction, Miss Annie Webb Blanton.

Congressional candidates and those for the Legislature came in for especial attention. Thousands of women remained in the heat and dust all summer to help in the campaign. As a result approximately 386,000 women registered in the seventeen days--surely a convincing answer to the statement that "Southern women do not want to vote." Governor Hobby was elected by an immense majority, as were Miss Blanton and all of the candidates who had been espoused by the new voters.

In August women were heartily welcomed into the political conventions, the men urging their appointment on all committees and even pa.s.sing resolutions of pleasure at having them partic.i.p.ate! It was reported that 233 out of 253 county conventions endorsed woman suffrage in some form. In September, 1918, at the State Democratic convention in Waco the women carried their demand for an endors.e.m.e.nt of the Federal Suffrage Amendment but not without strenuous opposition. In November the Executive Board of the State Suffrage a.s.sociation unanimously pa.s.sed a resolution emphasizing the one of its annual convention, that the Legislature be requested to postpone a State referendum on woman suffrage until after the war. The thought of one under present conditions was appalling. A Ratification Committee which included the heads of practically all of the women's organizations of state-wide importance was formed. Mrs. Cunningham went to Was.h.i.+ngton for the fourth time to a.s.sist the National Congressional Committee in the effort for a Federal Amendment.

In January, 1919, the State Legislature met in regular session and the poll in both Houses was entirely satisfactory in regard to ratifying the Federal Amendment. The lawmakers were so gratified at the part played by the women during the war and the "impeachment" that they were ready and anxious to grant anything wanted of them, in fact were disappointed that so little was asked. It was not deemed necessary to have a large lobby and only Mrs. Jessie Daniel Ames of Georgetown came to Austin to a.s.sist the chairman. A resolution offered by Judge W. H.

Bledsoe of Lubbock county and Senator R. M. Dudley of El Paso county, which was enthusiastically adopted by both Houses the second day of the session, after complimenting highly the voting of the women at the primaries, said: "Resolved, That the United States Senate is hereby respectfully but urgently requested to act immediately and favorably upon the woman suffrage amendment, which has already received proper recognition by the House of Representatives; that such action is in full accordance with enlightened sentiment which sees no reason for further delay."

Unfortunately many friends, both men and women, were misled into believing that it would now be possible to win a complete suffrage victory in Texas, although 260,000 real American voters were away on account of the war and thousands of aliens remained at home to vote.

Because of the delay in Congress on the Federal Amendment both Houses submitted by unanimous vote an amendment to the State const.i.tution. It was handicapped by a "rider" which required full naturalization by every foreign-born man before he could vote, instead of merely his first papers as now. This ensured a negative vote from every alien. A telegram to Was.h.i.+ngton summoned Mrs. Cunningham to return immediately and take command of the campaign, for it would be a Herculean task to manage one successfully in less than three months' time in a State consisting of 253 counties and the vote to be taken May 24. It was impossible for the State a.s.sociation to finance such a campaign and the National a.s.sociation, although disapproving of the referendum, contributed about $17,000.

President Wilson sent a cablegram from Paris urging the voters to give the amendment their support and the members of his administration used their influence in its favor. The State officials championed it and the party organization of the State and many in the counties put themselves behind it. All of the daily newspapers but one in the four largest cities advocated it. Almost every minister labored earnestly for it, many of them preaching in favor of it. Many excellent women engaged in the campaign, some of them even speaking on the street corners. The district, city and county chairmen of the State suffrage a.s.sociation totaled 400 earnest, active women with whom the headquarters kept in close touch through letters, press bulletins, telephone and telegraph. These chairmen were the medium through which 3,000,000 fliers and 200,000 copies of the _Texas Democrat_, an excellent paper edited for the occasion by Dr. A. Caswell Ellis of the State University faculty, reached the voters. More than ninety small papers issued a four page suffrage supplement furnished them.