Page:History of Woman Suffrage Volume 6.djvu/233

LOUISIANA 219 was sent in August to leading women in every southern State and signed by twenty-two from almost as many States asking the Governors to meet in New Orleans for a conference. It said : We are united in the belief that suffrage is a State right and that the power to define a State's electorate should remain the exclusive right of the State. We recognize that Woman Suffrage is no longer a theory to be debated but a condition to be met. The inevitable "<>tes for women" is a world movement and unless the South squarely the issue and takes steps to preserve the State's right the force of public opinion will make it mandatory through a National Con- stitutional Amendment. . . . While as Southerners we wish to see the power of the State retained, yet as women we are equally determined to secure, as of paramount importance, the right which is the birthright of an Ameri- can citizen. We, therefore, appeal to you gentlemen vested with the r largely to shape conditions to confer with us and influence public opinion to adopt woman suffrage through State action. Failing to accomplish this, the onus of responsibility will rest upon the men of the South if southern women are forced to support a National- Amendment, weighted with the same objections as the Fifteenth. It was not expected that the Governors would come, but the desired publicity was secured and several of them sent represen- tative women. At the invitation of the Era Club the conference held in Xew Orleans Nov. 10-11, with an excellent attend- ance. The Southern States Woman Suffrage Conference was li/ed with Miss Gordon president. On May i, 1914, head- quarters were opened in New Orleans in charge of Mrs. Ida Porter Boyer of Pennsylvania, as executive secretary, who had had long experience in suffrage organization and press work. I 'or the next three years Miss Gordon went regularly to these and <;ave her entire time to the promotion of the hern Conference without financial remuneration. In October < ma^a/.inc'. the New Southern Citizen, made its appear . which became self -supporting and proved to be a nmst valuable factor in the work of the conference. The first conven- tion was he-Id in Chattanooga, Tenn.. on Nov. 10, nji.j. just re that of the National American Association in Nashville, which its d< attended. It was welcomed by the Mayor, if lent of the Chamber <>f Commerce and many club pn si from twelve States and in addi- a number of distinguished visitors. Mrs. Oliver H. P.