History of Woman Suffrage/Volume 6/Chapter 39

 

CHAPTER XXXIX.

SOUTH CAROLINA.^[1]

For a number of years there had been a suffrage association in South Carolina with Mrs. Virginia Durant Young, editor of the Fairfax Enterprise, president. Evidence of advance in public sentiment was shown when in April, 1900, by invitation, Mrs. Young addressed 5,000 people at Rivers Bridges Memorial Association; in June when Mrs. Malvina A. Waring made the commencement address at Limestone College and again when Mrs. Young responded to a toast at the banquet of the State Press Association. That same year there was lively effort to decide which one of twenty women candidates should be elected State librarian. Miss Lucy Barron was elected and a large number of women engrossing clerks were appointed to share her work.

In 1902 during the Exposition a woman suffrage convention was held in Charleston through the courtesy of the chairman of Promotion and Publicity, Major J. C. Hemphill. Although opposed to woman suffrage he induced the officials in charge to grant the use of the German Artillery Hall for two nights and one meeting was held in the exposition grounds, where Henry B. and Miss Alice Stone Blackwell, Mrs. Mamie Folsom Wynn, Miss Koch, Miss Helen Morris Lewis, Miss Claudia G. Tharin, Mrs. T. M. Prentiss and Mrs. Young made addresses. A reception was given in the Woman's Building. In May, 1903, Mrs. Young made a suffrage speech at the meeting of the State Press Association at Georgetown. With her death in 1906 the organization lapsed but there was a small group of suffragists in Columbia with Dr. Jane Bruce Guignard president.

It was not until May 15, 1914, when Miss Lavinia Engle, one of the organizers sent by the National American Woman Suffrage 580 HISTORY OF WOMAN SUFFRAGE Association, called together a representative group of clubwomen, that the State Equal Suffrage League was organized in the Kennedy Library at Spartanburg. Mrs. M. T. Coleman of Abbeville, retiring president of the State Federation of Women's Clubs, was elected president ; Mrs. John Gary Evans, Spartanburg, first and Mrs. J. L. Coker, Hartsville, second, vice-president; Mrs. Henry Martin, Columbia, secretary; Mrs. F. T. Kicklin, Chester, treasurer. Dr. Rosa H. Gannt, Spartanburg, was ap- pointed legislative chairman. Three organized leagues Colum- bia, Charleston and Spartanburg with a membership of about 450, joined at this time. In twenty months the number of local leagues increased to eight and the membership to 1,514. Three speakers were brought to the State during the winter of 1915, Mrs. Lila Meade Valentine, president of the Virginia League; Mrs. Desha Breckinridge, president of the Kentucky Association, and Miss Kate M. Gordon of Louisiana. The league supplied literature for school and club debates and distributed it at many county fairs. On October 17 a State convention was held in Columbia. Mrs. Coleman and Dr. Gannt resigned; Mrs. Harriet P. Lynch, Cheraw, was elected president and Mrs. W. C. Cathcart of Columbia was appointed legislative chairman. This year for the first time suffrage was represented in a parade of women, which took place during the State Fair with a suffrage float in the evening display. In 1916 the annual convention met in Charlestown. During the year Mrs. Lynch had stressed organization and chairmen had been appointed in sixteen counties to work along political lines, the unit of organization being the wards in cities and townships in counties. A plank in the Democratic platform to refer a woman suffrage amendment to the voters was secured at the State convention in the spring and State and national candidates were canvassed as to their views on woman suffrage. Yhen the convention of 1917 was held in Columbia in October there were twenty-five leagues in the State with a membership of about 3,000. The Federal Suffrage Amendment, the Prohibition Amendment, Food Administration as outlined by Mr. Hoover and a Minimum Wage for Women were endorsed. Protests were made against any attempt to lower educational standards or to SOUTH CAROLINA 581 weaken the laws safeguarding women and children. The Legis- lative Committee reported that before the Legislature convened its members had been completely canvassed as to their views on woman suffrage ; these were classified and only a few were tagged impossible. A "suffrage school" was held in Columbia in De- cember under the auspices of the National Association with one hundred pupils. During the year woman suffrage had been en- dorsed by the State Federation of Labor, Federation of Women's Clubs and Woman's Christian Temperance Union. In May, 1918, Mrs. Cathcart was appointed by U. S. Senator Tillman as associate committeewoman on the Democratic National Committee. When the State Democratic convention was held in Columbia that month the committeewoman and the committee decided that this was the opportunity for the Demo- cratic party to substantiate its pledge. Senator Neils Christensen was asked to introduce a resolution requesting the party to permit women to vote in the Democratic Primaries in August, provided the 36th State had ratified the Federal Amendment. The resolu- tion was debated in committee and rejected by a vote of 18 to 14. The convention adopted the unfavorable report by a vote of 249 to 58. The women were not only rejected but through the spokes- man for the opposing faction, U. S. Senator Christie Benet of Columbia, they were dubbed as paid progagandists. This the women denied through the press and called on him to prove his accusation, which was never done. The State suffrage convention held in October and Mrs. Lynch and Mrs. Cathcart were re-elected. At this convention the league declared itself in favor of the Federal Suffrage Amendment as a war measure. The State convention of 1919 was held in Columbia in January, Julian B. Salley of Aiken presiding. Resolutions on the death of Dr. Anna Howard Shaw, also resolutions endorsing the Treaty of Peace and the League of Nations were read by Mrs. cart and adopted. Mrs. Lynch, whose resignation .is made honorary president, and at the meeting of the executive committee in Columbia in July Mrs. Salley was ele president. During the year work was immensely strengthened bv the contribution of the National Association of 10,000 pieces of literature and of Miss Lola Trax, who in five months organized 52 HISTORY OF WOMAN SUFFRAGE forty counties for the petition work for ratification. The National's expenditures were over $1,700. The State convention of 1920 met in Columbia in January at the Jefferson Hotel and was welcomed by Governor Robert A. Cooper, who said he was convinced that women would soon vote. U. S. Senator Pollock of Cheraw made a rousing speech in favor of the Federal Amendment. Mrs. Salley reviewed the year's work, telling of the distribution of 10,000 copies of Senator Pollock's speech in Congress; of the new course of citizenship in the State University and of the growth of the organization. The legislative report of the past five years was read by the chairman, Mrs. Cathcart. Mrs. Munsell, chairman of the American Citizenship Committee, reported a ten-day course of citizenship at Winthrop Summer School; a summer class at the University of South Carolina; one at Coker College, Hartsville, conducted by Mrs. J. L. Coker, and a course at Converse College, Spartanburg. Mrs. Cathcart, chairman of the Resolutions Com- mittee, read the following: "The State Equal Suffrage League tenders appreciation and thanks to the members of the General Assembly of South Carolina, who have fostered the cause . . . among them Joseph E. McCullough, Greenville; A. E. Horton, Spartanburg; James A. Hoyt, Speaker of the House; Senators J. L. Sherard, Anderson; Neils Christensen, Beaufort; Allan Johnston, Newberry ; Legrande Walker, Georgetown ; T. C. Dun- can, Union, and Representative Shelor, Oconee. We commend William P. Pollock who spoke and voted in the U. S. Senate for the Federal Suffrage Amendment, for his loyalty to his convic- tions and his belief in true democracy." At the afternoon session Miss Marjorie Shuler, who had been sent by the National Asso- ciation for press and publicity work for one month, was one of the principal speakers. Delegates were elected for the meeting to be called to merge the Equal Suffrage League into the League of Women Voters. This meeting was held June 20 at Craven Hall, Columbia, the league was formed and Mrs. Munsell was elected chairman. LEGISLATIVE ACTION. In 1902 Mrs. Virginia D. Young, then president of the suffrage association, brought personal influence to bear on the Governor, Senators and RepresentaSOUTH CAROLINA 583 tives for a hearing on woman suffrage. On January 28 Senator Aldrich and Representative Izler introduced simultaneously two bills, one asking for Presidential suffrage for taxpaying women ; the other for suffrage in Municipal elections. A hearing was held before a joint session January 31, with the galleries crowded, where, in Mrs. Young's own words, "I was received with the usual chivalric attention and asked if I would ascend to the Speaker's chair. 'By no means. I wish to speak from the floor,' I answered. This privilege was accorded me and for the first time a woman spoke in the House of Representatives." 1914. From 1902 there is no record of action on the part of the General Assembly to grant suffrage to women until Jan. 23, 1914, when a bill was introduced in the House by Mr. McMillan and referred to the Judiciary Committee, by which it was unfa- vorably reported the next day and rejected without a record vote, after little if any discussion. It had been introduced in the Senate by Mr. Carlisle on the 1 5th and referred to the Judiciary Committee, which reported it without recommendation February j;, and the next day it was laid on the table without discussion or a record vote. 1915. Early in the session a resolution was introduced asking for the submission of a woman suffrage amendment to the State constitution. In connection an invitation was extended by Speaker James A. Tloyt of Columbia to Mrs. Valentine, president of the Virginia Suffrage League, to address the House and she spoke most convincingly. It was said that if a vote had been taken that ni^ht the resoluton would have been adopted. It was referred to the Judiciary Committee, which granted a hearing. The speakers were the Rev. Kirkman G. Finlay, Professor Lewis Parke Chamberlayne, Mrs. Coleman, Mrs. Lynch, Miss Eudora Ramsey, Dr. Gannt and Mrs. Valentine. The resolution was reported out of the committee unfavorably, with a minority

id it was thought best not to push for a vote.

10. The resolution for an amendment was introduced in the House by Judge McCullough of Greenville and received a of 51 ayes; 61 noes. iM 7- The amendment resolution was introduced by Senator J. L. Sherard and Representative A. E. Horton. After an excit584 HISTORY OF WOMAN SUFFRAGE ing debate lasting for three days the Senate bill came to a vote, receiving 25 ayes; 19 noes. In the House the bill was reported and placed early on the calendar for the next year. 1918. Mr. Horton, House leader, was requested by the league to withdraw the resolution and state that as President Wilson had declared himself in favor of the Federal Suffrage Amendment and had requested members of Congress to vote for its submis- sion the league would concentrate on this amendment. After the vote in favor by the U. S. House of Representatives letters and telegrams were sent by leagues and individuals all over the State requesting the Senators to vote for it. Both voted against it but with the election of William P. Pollock the suffragists were encouraged. The amendment was submtted to the Legislatures June 4, 1919. RATIFICATION. On January 14, 1920, Senator Neils Chris- tensen introduced a joint resolution to ratify the proposed Federal Suffrage Amendment, which was referred to the Judiciary Com- mittee. On the 23rd it was reported unfavorably; on motion of Senator Christensen the report was laid on the table ; on the 28th the resolution went to a vote and received 32 noes, four ayes Christensen, Duncan, Shelor and Walker. In the House on January 21 Representatives Bradford and Hart introduced a concurrent resolution to reject the proposed amendment; on the 22nd a motion to refer it to the Judiciary Committee was defeated by a vote of 85 to 26. The debate on the resolution to reject extended into the afternoon and the vote resulted in 93 ayes, 20 noes. Even members who were opposed to ratification made strong speeches for justice and denounced this unprecedented action of voting for a measure before it had been referred to a committee or placed on the calendar.

 

1. The History is indebted for this chapter to Mn. W. C. Cathcart, member of the State Board of Public Welfare and chairman of the Legislative Committee of the State Equal Suffrage League for six years.