MRS. FRENCH WILL MAKE RACE
FOR COUNCIL FROM THE CITY
AT LARGE AS AN INDEPENDENT
Assemblage Of Women Nominate Her Unanimously And
Pledge Support To Candidacy — Nominee Declares
Citizens' Committee Made Mistake In Failing To
Name Woman.
Mrs. L. Crozier French was
unanimously endorsed as an independent candidate for councilman
from the city at large by a group
of representative women assembled
at the Lyceum building yesterday
afternoon.
Mrs. French's nomination came
at the end of a rather lengthy discussion of the action of the Committee of 78 in failing to name a woman
on the People's ticket, Mrs. George
F. Mellen and Mrs. C. A. Weaver
placing her name before the meeting.
In calling the meeting to order
Mrs. French had stated that it was
not the purpose either to nominate
or endorse a candidate at this time,
but simply to discuss the situation
confronting women from its various
angles. She said she felt the citizens' committee had made a mistake
in assuming to name a ticket—a
right that was delegated alone to
the primary, and that she did not
understand how 18 people out of
100,000 could nominate 16 people on
a ticket and that nobody else should
run. She then asked for nominations
for chairman and Mrs. Stuart Towe
was chosen. Mrs. S. M. Miller was
elected secretary.
Discussion of the matter at issue
was entered unon immediately,
every woman expressing herself as
in favor of a woman on the council,
and the organization of the women
of the city to stand behind such a
candidate.
''We must not Be down on this
proposition simply because the men
do not nominate us." said Mrs.
Weaver, "and I think it is not only
just but right that a woman should
enter the race."
Miss Kate White said that she
thought a mistake had been made
in not urging more strongly the
candidacv of a woman earlier in the
game. She said that she felt very
strongly that a woman should be on
the board (missing)
with men inasmuch as they bore the
burden of taxation with them. She
said, however, that she did not feel
that anything should be done that
would hinder other groups who are
doing what they thought was for the
best interests of the city. "We want
women with brains—not women
with social notoriety or those who
want to see their names in the newspaper," said Miss White.
Miss White later replied to Mrs.
H. C. Milnor who made the statement that she was not interested in
the people's ticket either for or
against it, by saying that she (Miss
White) was very much interested in
the success of Mr. Brakebill, the
people's candidate in her district and
that she was working daily for his
election.
At this juncture Mrs. French arose
and said that she wished to present
certain matters to the meeting.
"I am going to tell the truth just
as thought (sic.) I were sworn." said Mrs.
French. "I never tell anything but
the truth and this makes people say
that Mrs. French slaps folks in the
face. As soon as the new charter
was passed a certain woman came to
me and said, 'I hear we are to have
a woman on our ticket, and I want
to say that I want you to let me put
your name forward as a candidate.
I regard you as the logical candidate
for that place, and I believe it is
palpable to everybody that your life
work has been of a public charac-
ter. I believe you should represent
us on the ticket and want you to let
us put your name before the people.'
"Then the Constitutional League
in a moment of enthusiasm advocated my candidacy, and so my hat
was in the ring. Then I understood
that I was not to do any more.
The League of Women Voters was
to do the rest—somebody else was
the rest—and I was most unhappy
because I could not talk, and talk
for publication, but I said nothing.
Then they recommended a lady to
go on the committee of 18, and as
she was my friend, we thought the
deed was done. So I troubled myself no more about it.
"But as time went on and we began to approach the period when
the ticket should be read out and
made public, I began to say to myself, 'There is nothing doing on the
woman question at all. Then I said,
'What's the news from the committee?' and she said, 'Only two wom-
ent left-- yourself and Miss Kate
White. I [said] 'Good, I shall withdraw in favor of Miss White.' She
said, 'No, don't do anything yet; 1
shall let you know.' In a day or
two she sent me word that everything was all right. I have found
out since it was all right—but not"
on my side."
Mrs. French then told of the organization of the League of Women
Voters, how she had been asked to
come in and assist wtih its organization after difficulty had been experienced, that she had done so and
had given them her confidence.
Mrs. Weaver asked Mrs. Thomas
Peacock Miller for an expression of
her views on the subject of a woman
on the council. Mrs. Miller announced herself as being heartily in
favor not only of one woman but of
two on every board where women
can serve. She said that her own experience on the board of education
had proven that this was preferable,
and that she had the authority of
others to this effect.
Mrs. French's nomination came at
this juncture and a rising vote resulted unanimously.
In acepting the nomination Mrs.
French expressed her appreciation
and said that she had not expected
it but that she had made up her mind to run anyway.
"I am going to run for councilman of Knoxville. And if I don't
get five votes, I shall feel that I
have done my whole duty to the
cause of justice for women."
Plans for perfecting an organization in the interest of Mrs. French's
candidacy were deferred until another meeting which will be called
by Mrs. C. A. Weaver, Second district chairman of the League of
Women Voters.
