The Birmingham age-herald. [volume], April 10, 1921, SOCIAL SECTION, Page TEN, Image 34

About The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950

Image provided by: University of Alabama Libraries, Tuscaloosa, AL

                
WHEN one glances backward
over the “personnel” In Ala
bama of the women who "put
suffrage over,” who gave 24 hours a day
t» the cause, who dedicated their time
to the vote-winning game, keeping
regular “office hours," “showing up”
whether rain or shine; never too weary
or too bored to follow out the most
Strenuous of programmes, or doing them
selves what they asked other women to
do, no name is more conspicuous than
that of Mrs. Richard P. Johnston
(Lillian Miles), who today Is equally
ardent in her work as chairman of the
press committee of the first annual con
vention of the Alabama League of
Women Voters, to be held in Birming
ham on April 26 and 3S.
The list bn Alabama of those whose
hearts and minds have been dedicated
to the realization of Susan B. Anthony's
dream and Elizabeth Cady Stanton's
cherished hope is long, and in the “Who's
Who" of suffrage are scores whe stand
out prominently for their efforts and
their achievements. Mrs. Solon Jacobs,
brilliant, brainy, capable, is internation
ally known for her devotion to the cause
in the great vote drania; Mrs. A. J. Bow
fon, state chairman of the Alabama
League of Women Voters; Mrs. T. 1>.
Strock, secretary for the forthcoming
convention; Mrs. W. L. Murdoch, chair
man of the committee on arrangements,
and Mrs. W. D. Nesbitt, chairman of
the luncheon committee for the conven
tion all of these planning for the first aa
rual meeting of Alabama's anient femin
ists to go down in history os an epoch
making period—a period fraught with
tremendous progress, tremendous moment
to women and men alike.
Anyone who has ever been associated
with Mrs. Johnston in any sort of work—
whether in the organization of the Music
Study club in the old days in Birming
ham, when music was in its pioneer
state, or in suffrage work—again pioneer
ing; or in the war savings work—with
the Sixth federal reserve district during
the war—or yet promoting the success
of the first annual meeting of the Ala
bama League of Women Voters—will tell
yon that she is one of the most tireless
workers, one of the most energetic and
one of the greatest human dynamos
that Birmingham has to her credit, and
nothing is closer or dearer to her heart
than this big meeting of the women
voters of Alabama, to which Birmingham
will be hostess the latter part of this
month.
“To the uninitiated it perhaps seems
a far cry from the time the first unit
of the Alabama Equal Suffrage associa
tion was formed an November 11, 1911.
to April 26, 1921, when the Alabama
League of Women Voters will hold Its
first annual meeting at the Tutwller
hotel in this oity." , said Mrs. Johnston
a few days age in talking about the
forthcoming convention. “Reprcsenta
: > THE 'njnWlT?*m'r§
GREATEST VALUE
EVER OFFERED
PRICE
i n t
GREATEST VALUE
EVER OFFERED
PRICE
S22
PRICE
5
> *
Mi
Prominent women who will take part in the forthcoming first annual meeting of the Alabama League of Women Voters which will be held in Birmingham April 25 and 26: (Upper left) :
Mrs. W. D. Nesbitt, chairman of the luncheon committee— (photograph by the Stephenson studio) ; (upper center): photograph of the first suffrage convention held, in Alabama at Selma, in
January, 1912; front row, left to right: Mrs. F. T. Raiford, Selma; Mrs. W. N. Wood, Ensley; Miss Ethel Armes, Birmingham; Mrs. W. L. Murdoch, Birmingham; Mrs. Solon Jacobs, Birming
ham; Mrs. Brenton Fisk, Birmingham; Miss Maud Kelly, Birmingham; Mrs. Chas. Spencer, Birmingham; Mrs. Julian Parke, Selma. Second row, left to right: Mrs. Sallie Powell, Montgomery.,
Mrs. Richard Johnston, Birmingham; Miss Mary Partridge, Selma; Mrs. Priscilla Robinson, Huntsville; Mrs. J. B. Aird, Birmingham; Mrs. W. D. Nesbitt, Birmingham; Mrs. J.U. inverse,
Selma; Mrs. J. G. Wilkins, Selma; Mrs. Lucy Armes, Birmingham. (Upper right): Mrs. A. J. Bowron, state chairman of the Alabama League of Women Voters. (Lower left): Mrs. W. L.
Murdoch, chairman of arrangements (photograph by the Stephenson studio). (Lower center): A view of the rose and gold ballroom of the Tutwiler where the meetings of the Alabama
League of Women Voters will be held (photograph bv Oscar V. Hunt). (Lower right) : Mrs. T. D. Strock, secretary of the convention (photograph by the Stephenson studio).
tives from practically every county In
the state will be present for the purpose
of deciding upon ways and means for
the women to best use the ballot for the
future advancement of the state.
“By the ‘uninitiated’ I mean the dis* 1
interested and the indifferent who sat
still, saw others do the work, were bored
at the incessant and eternal harping
upon ‘votes for women,' or those who
felt that it was either useless or hope
less,’’ continued Mrs. Johnston.
“To the initiated, and by these I mean
those women (and men, too) yho worked
and sacrificed eternally and everlast
ingly for the thing which they felt
should come and which they knew would
come eventually, to them it seems a
far cry, because the way which was
rough and stormy many times, reaching
over the weeks and years before ‘votes
for women’ was an accomplished fact.
But the real work has just begun, as
someone of the initiated and pioneers of
the cause has remarked. Now we must
toil and sacrifice, study and teach, in
order that we may use the privilege and
duty rightly.
“This state meeting is for the latter
purpose. There is a league of Women
Voters- in practically every county in
Alabama,” said Mrs. Johnston. "It l?
hoped that every county in the state
will be represented at the meeting. Even
if there should not be a county league
in a iounty, there are women members
of organizations whose purpose is for
development and uplift in the many
phases of citizenship. All of these or
ganizations are invited to send repre
sentatives, The Federation of Women's
Clubs, that splendid organization which
has for so many years worked for the
cultural advancement of the state; the
Woman’s Christian Temperance union,
whose ultimate success is so largely in
fluenced by the votes of the people, and
the officers people select by the vote;
the patriotic organizations whose func
tions are enhanced or retarded by the
government of the state; the fraternal
bodies of women, whose efforts are for
advancement in spiritual, cultural and
educational upbuilding—all these organi
zations, and other state women’s organi
zation, as well as the smaller clubs func
tioning with the larger ones, are our
allies, and the most sanguine were sur
prised on that day when a hall was
packed to overflowing and the charter
membership contained the names of 20
people, both men and women.
"The meeting took place with Mrs. W.
I, Murdoch as temporary chairman and
Miss Ethel Armes as temporary secre
tary. The officers elected were Mrs.
Solon Jacobs, president; Miss Ethel
Armes, first vice president; Mrs. W. L.
Murdoch, second vice president; Mrs.
Mary E. Wood, third vice president; Mrs.
J. E. Frazier, recording secretary; Miss
Helen Benners, corresponding secretary;
Mrs. A. J. Bowron, treasurer. Commit
tees were composed of Mrs. C. B. Spen
cer, Mrs. Sidney Ullman, Mr. Clement
Wood, Miss Maud Kelley, Mrs. Thomas
D. Parke, Mrs. H. H. Snell. Miss Bessie
May Thompson (Mrs. William Weller),
Miss Amelia Worthington and myself.
"There were always unexpected in
cidents happening to us, some pleasant
and agreeable and some otherwise. We
were inate believers in the justice of
sometimes criticised by our friends, and
sometimes we were made to feel very
comforted and comfortable by those who
were Inimate believers' in the justice of
the cause." said Mrs. Johnston. "One ot
these unexpected Incidents occurred on
our way to Selma to the tirst meeting
of the Alabama Equal Suffrage associa
tion. when a member ol* the train crew
came to one of our leaders and said he
had been elected a member of the Ala
bama legislature and wanted the privi
lege of presenting our bill for equal
franchise in Alabama to the -legislature.
Said he had been a ’stout and ardent
believer In equal rights for 2(1 years’ and
he craved the distinction and privilege
of presenting our bill. And, by the way,
he was given the privilege and put in
charge of the bill, as he again later
earnestly requested, but he didn’t pre
sent it for reason best known to Alabama
stffragists, and Mr. lsadore Shapiro, now
of New York, and one of the men to
j whom the Alabama women owe much tor
| his faithful and intelligent Service for
I the cause, made a splendid tight for It.
1 "At Selma, at the first convention. w«
had enemies and we had friends, the
latter giving us one of the most delight
ful convention^ of our entire history, 11
and the enemies in that wonderful part j}
of Alabama, famer for hospitality and pa- !i
tritian ancestry, were too hospitable ana ,
too well-bred to do anything to mar the |
success of our first Alabama suffrage j
convention. i
“It has been a struggle for 10 years,’' j
said Mrs. Johnston, “and even further i
back than that, for we had a Woman’s £
Equal Suffrage association which, even l
though small, secured by state legisla- !
tion the right of the women of Alabama i
to vote. True, it didn't last over 24 1
hours: in fact, no longer than it took for i
the Solons to get back to the capital, :
Montgomery, and rescind the action of j
the legislature, but, nevertheless, it was
an encouraging sign.
“That was back In the early days of
Susan B. Anthony, when women like
Mrs. Virginia <21ay Clopton, Mrs. Milton
Hume, Mrs. Ellen Peter Bryce and
others accomplished this splendid work.
Seme of these women are still alive, who
can tell many interesting stories of the
first days—pioneer dayfe—of struggles for
suffrage in this state, among them the
lovely Mrs. Bryce of Tuscaloosa. And.
| by the way, one of the interesting fea
tures of the forthcoming convention of
j the Alabama T.eague of Women Voters
FRECKLE-FACE
'
Sun and Wind Bring Out Ugly
Spots—How to Remove Easily
Here’s a chance. Miss Freckle-face,
to try • a remedy for freckles with tho
guarantee of a reliable concern that it
will not cost you a penny nnless it re
moves the freckles; while if it does give
you a clear complexion the expense is
trifling.
Simply get an ounce of Othine—double
strength—from any druggist and a few
applications should show you how easy
it is to rid yourself of the homely freck
les and ge t a beautiful complexion.
Rarely is more than one ounce needed
for the worst case.
Be sure to ask the druggist for the
double strength Othine, as this strength
is sold under guarante-' of money back
if it fails to remove freckles.—Adv.
The boys tell me
Tuesday, April 12, is
Straw Hat Day—and
Pm going after mine.’*
rill be a memorial to Mrs. Hume and
Irs. William (Bessie) Vaughn, both of i
rhom have died during the past year.
“The last struggle began in Alabama j
n 1911, when both Birmingham and !
»elma foiled suffrage associations," j
aid Mrs. Johnston. The local organ
isation grew out of the formation'of a
mall group of women who had banded
hemselves together for the purpose of
itudying the statutes of Alabama women
ind the laws governing them. It was
»ot their intention to announce belief
n the cause of equal rights until they
lad made a thorough investigation and
assembled facts, and figures, but it
leaked out’ in some way that a few, at]
least, of this little group were ardent
suffragists, and that it was possible that
Birmingham would have to suffer the
dark and dismal disgrace of having a
suffrage organization. Miss Frances
Nimmo Greene; who was at that time a
Birmingham newspaper woman, scooped
the news to the public, and then it was
that a mass meeting was called at the
Chamber of Commerce for the purpose
of forming an association.
“Among the pioneers In suffrage worK
who made possible the success of an Ala
bama League of Women Voters by lay
ing the foundation and working to this
end throughout the years are Mr. and
Mrs. Sidney Uulnian, now of California,
Ir. Clement Wood, now of New York;
women who wer* wank
b«?e surprisingly Imnn
durance In two WMM H
this simple ox pari wont.
Mk, Your money wiQ ho mhntfTby
the maBufratvanff yam d»M* obtain
satisfactory aepnfc ' Beware of sub
etltutes. Alwgyf ingkt on having geou
ino organic fcoBTr-SrUXATEDIRON.
Look for tho letters N. I. on every
tublet. At all druggists.
Look at the pale, thin,watery blooded
creatures in this picture—sea how they
are struggling, trying to get away from
the merciless vampire of Iron-starvation
which holds them tight by a stoat, cruel
cord they cannot see.
Their lack of BODILY AND MEN
TAL VIGOR t their Inability to do
day’s work without being all fagged
oat, their bad lnclqt LACK OF
BRAIN POWER to think right
and the WILL POWER,to battle
against obstacles, their frequent head
aches, backaches, nervous irritability
and the great devitalising weakness
brought on by lack of iron in the blood,
tells them something is wrong BUT
THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT.
They nil envy the strong, keen, red
blooded man with plenty of iron in his
blood, who, in spits of "hard times’’ or
other obstacles aaathe"domlnaatfbrcet*
"will power,’’physical and mental
strength to ensue nlrt to GO OUT
AND WIN andBRING HOME THE
"CASH” while they tug Is vain to
break the bods that hold them hist.
If you aiw not strong or well
lurself to make' the follow!
loog yon
without becoming tired. Nest take'two five-grain
tablets of ordinary N mated Iron three timaa per
day after meals for two weeks. Then test year
th again and see how much you have galn
of the
Blood
Ruins the
Health
of
Thousands
ENRICHES THE B'.000-P!VES
YOU NEWSIKEKviHaNS chEROY
I HAVE GOT THEM ALL
BUT ONE!
And He Has Too Much Rich Red Blood For Me
Says the Vampire of iron-starvation—don’t let
him get you—keep plenty of iron in your "blood.
1
*r
Miss Myrtle Miles, now of Cincinnati;
Mr. Isadore Shapiro and his wife (NelJ
Freeman), now of New York;’Miss Ethel
Armes, now of Boston; Dr. and Mrs
Charles Dowman. now of Atlanta; Mrs. *
Nixon Norris, now of California; Miss
Olena McNatt (Mrs. Lytton), Miss Maud
McClure Kelley, Mr. R. F. Johnston, Mr.
W. J. Adams, Mrs. Ida Adams, Mrs. Os
car Hundley, Mrs. C. D. Brooks, Mrs.
Amelia Worthington Fisk, Miss Ella Con
ley, Mrs. Viva Jackson Spencer, Mrs. C.
B. Spencer, Miss Lillie Lykes, now
married and residing in Washington;
Mrs. Troupe Brazleton, the late Dr. An
nie Robinson, all of the first officers of
the local organization, and those in the
other cities and counties who blazed the
way. The women who served in an
official capacity in'the State Equal Suf
frage association, among whom w’ere
Mrs. Jacobs, the first state president;
Mrs. Julian Parke of Selma, Miss Mary
Partridge of Selma, Mrs. Wilftihs,v Mrs.
Raiford and many others too numerous
to mention—all deserve the highest possi
ble commendation in their efforts.**
“The programme for the state meet
ing on April 25-26 at the Tutwiler,” said
Mrs. Johnston, “is replete with interesting
features. The luncheon to which the pub
lic will be invited, which will be in charge *
of Mrs. W. D. Nesbitt and a capable
committee, will be a notable event in Bir
mingham's history. Plans for the future
development oi! the civic and political
life of the state will be discussed by
splehdFl sftekkers at the various meet
ings. The meetings will be presiejed over
by Mrs. A. J. Bowron,- state present;
Mrs. Bibb Graves of Montgomery and
Mrs. Wilkins of Selma, vice presidents.
There will be charming girls acting as
pages to attend to the various duties of
the office, and the decorations for ail
of the meetings will carry out the ideas
of a splendid committee in charge of
them.
“We hope that every person who haa
ever worked for votes, every person who
has ever used a vote, every person who
doesn’t want to vote, every person who
does, every person, whether she has ever
been enemy or friend to votes for women,
will be here, for there is much we should
do. much we want to do and much we
will do to make Alabama a better place
to live in by learning how to use our
franchise, and then using it.”