A Call to Southern
Governers
One of the most significant indications of progress of
the movement in the South was the tenor of the call sent you last November to the Governors of the Southern
States, written by Miss Kate Gordon and signed by the
Presidents and leading members of the Southern Suffrage
organizations. It read as follows:
"The undersigned women of the Southern States, on the
part of the Suffragists of their respective States, earnestly
request the Governors of the Southern States or their rep-
resentatives to meet them in conference in New Orleans,
November 10-11, to discuss and adopt a uniform plan of
action for the adoption of Woman suffrage in the South.
"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. How-
ever, we recognize that Woman Suffrage is no longer a
theory to be debated, but a condition to be met. The in-
evitable 'votes for women' is a world movement, and un-
less the South squarely faces the issue and takes steps
to preserve the State right, the force of public opinion will
make it mandatory through a National Constitutional
Amendment.
"In fact, the National Council of Voters, consisting of
enfranchised women, has for its object the influencing of
national legislation to secure the ballot for the women
who have not yet received it. 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 im-
portance, the right which is the birthright of an American
citizen.
"We, therefore, appeal to you gentlemen vested with
it the power to so largely 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 amend-
ment, weighted with the same objections as the Fifteenth
Amendment.
"Hoping for an early and favorable response,
Women's Suffrage
