Page:History of Woman Suffrage Volume 6.djvu/613

TENNESSEE 597 James Bennett of Richmond, Ky., and Mrs. Key, president of the North Texas Girls' College. Discussions on aspects of the suffrage question were led by Miss Kearney, Miss Clay, Mrs. Meriwether and Mrs. Jennie H. Sibley of Georgia. The conference was resolved into a committee of the whole to formulate plans for concerted legis- lative work in the southern States. A thousand copies of the reso- lutions were printed. At this time the State Equal Suffrage Asso- ciation was re-organized, with Mrs. Meriwether honorary president ; Mrs. J. D. Allen, president; Mrs. L. F. Selden, corresponding secre- tary and treasurer; Mrs. M. M. Betts, recording secretary; Mrs. S. S. Deem, chairman of problems affecting women or children. Mrs. Allen served continuously until 1912. In 1908 the State Federation of Labor not only endorsed woman suffrage but agreed to petition members of the Legislature and Congress to work for it and they loyally kept their pledge. This same year suffrage literature was first distributed at the State Federation of Women's Clubs and Dr. Shaw, then president of the Na- tional Association, spoke in Memphis. In 1910 the first suffrage State petition work was begun in Memphis and its Nineteenth Century Club and the Newman Circle of Knoxville held parlor meetings and discussions. Knox- ville formed a local league ; the women's clubs began to awaken and the State Federation appointed its first legislative committee, with the object of having the laws unfavorable to women changed. In 1911 thousands of pieces of literature were dis- tributed, press articles sent out and a resolution to amend the State constitution by striking out the word "male" was first presented to the Legislature. The movement did not gain much impetus until the Nashville League was organized in the fall of this year and Chattanooga and Morrison soon followed. On Jan. 10-12, 1912, the association with its five virile infant leagues met in Nashville and plans for state-wide organization began. Miss Sarah Barnwell Elliott, an eminent writer, was unani- mously chosen president. In October, 1913, the State conven- tion met in Morristown and eight leagues answered the roll call. Tli- n the Legislature naturally always fell heavily upon Vashvillc League and from KJI.S to 1919 the lobby was composed principally of its members. The first real effort to vn the prejudice of the legislators was in 1913, when I lliott and Mrs. Guilfonl Dudley asked for an audience