BOTH SIDES
ARE BOLTERS
Returning Suffragists Tell of
Their Convention.
JUST LIKE REPUBLICANS
IN EVANS-BROWNLOW DAYS
Miss Ervin Says Mrs. French and
Her Crowd Bolted, and Mrs. Mc-
Cormick's Followers Were
the Guilty Ones.
"No anger or ill feeling—simply
jwomen standing for their ideals in a dig-
nified way," is the explanation of the recent division of ranks in the State Equal Suffrage association furnished by Miss
Margaret Ervin, president of the local
league.
"When the convention was called to-
gether there were things that had to
be accounted for. The minutes of the
Memphis meetings of the executive
board had to be threshed out and they
knew they would have to face the music,
so they bolted," said Miss Ervin. "We
are the ones who had the majority, the
convention standing 75 for Mrs. McCor-
mick and 52 for Mrs. French without
the officers. They were divided four ancl
four, making 79 for us and 56 for Mrs.
French.
"They tried to put over a filibuster
scheme by preventing the report of the
credentials committee to come up and
we put up with it during the morning
of the opening meeting and also during the afternoon. Mrs. French gave
us only fifty minutes to transact the
business of the afternoon and when she
declared the meeting adjourned in order
that we might take an auto ride I objected. Others also objected and when
she saw the majority was "against her,
she stalked out of the room."
Miss Ervin explained in detail how
Mrs. French was late in arriving at the
convention hall the day following the
revolt and how Mrs. McCormick took
the chair and presided until the arrival
of the deposed head. She said Mrs.
French had a table placed at the other
end of the hall and rapped for order, requesting at the same time that her followers turn their chairs around and face
her end of the room.
Just One "Mere Man" Mixed
Up in the Feminine Squabble.
One member of the body who was a
delegate told of the sad experience of
Fred Jones, of Chattanooga, who was
the only man present. It appears that
Mr. Jones was suddenly pressed into
service when the rival factions started
to transact business. "He carried chairs
from one end of the room to another
and had an awful time," she said.
Miss Ervin vigorously denies that
Mrs. McCormick's faction, comprising
most of the members of the Chattanooga Equal Suffrage association, are
the insurgents. She stated posittvely
that that side was in the majority, and
therefore belonged to the regular ele-
ment. Miss Ernestine Noa, who was a
delegate from that league, pleaded for
harmony on the convention floor and refused to take sides either way, it is said.
When she announced that she would
withhold her vote on this account, it is
said that Mrs. French made a sarcastic
reference to all who were neutrally inclined.
Chattanooga Equal Suffrage association,
presumably on the ground that the two
organizations should co-operate to entertain the Southern States Suffrage conference, when it convenes here next
Tuesday. It is said that the Equal
Rights league agrees to 'reorganize in
one body, but the Equal Suffrage association refused.
Rival Corps of Officers
Elected at Convention.
Following are the state officers elected
by the faction headed by Mrs. French:
President—Mrs. L. Crozier French, of
Knoxville.
Vice-President-at-Large — Mrs. John
M. Kenney, of Nashville.
Vice-President, for West Tennessee—
Mrs. Isaac Resse. of Memphis.
Vice-President for Middle Tennessee—
Mrs. D. T. Crockett, of Franklin.
Vice-President for East Tennessee—
Mrs. F. M. Jones, of Chattanooga.
Recording Secretary—Miss Sue White,
of Jackson.
Treasurer—Mrs. Kimbrough, of Nashville.
Auditor—Mrs. R. L. Cunningham, of
Knoxville.
The following were elected delegates
and alternates to the national convention, to be held in Nashville in November; Mesdames L. Crozier French, Guilford Dudley, of Nashville; Samuel Mc-
Kinney, and Miss Sarah Rutherford,
both of Knoxville; Mrs. Isaac Reese, of
Memphis; Mrs. Frank Woodward, of
Jackson; Mrs. W. H. Case, of Chattanooga; Mrs. John Kenney, of Nashville, and Miss Isabel! Gettys, of Athens.
Following are the alternates: Mrs.
Marion King Purnell, of Knoxville; Mrs.
John Trice, of Jackson; Mrs. D. T.
Crockett, of Chattanooga; Miss Russey,
of Nashville; Mrs. Pry or Lilly, of Franklin; Miss Moody, of Athens; Mrs. Perkins Baxter, of Nashville, and Mrs.
James Ezell, of Nashville.
Following are the state officers elected
by the faction headed by Mrs. McCormick:
President—Mrs. James McCormick, of
Memphis.
Vice-President-at-Large—Mrs. Frances, Fort Brown, of Knoxville.
Vice-President for East Tennessee—
Mrs. C. E. Lucky, of Knoxville.
Vice-President for Middle Tennessee—
Mrs. John E. Turney, of Nashville.
Vice-President for West Tennessee—
Mrs. A. S. Buchanan, of Memphis.
Corresponding Secretary—Mrs. A. Y.
Scott, of Memphis.
Recording Secretary — Mrs. David
Meriwether, of Knoxville.
Treasurer—Miss Katherine J. Wester,
of Chattanooga.
k Superintendent of Legislation—Miss
Margaret Ervin, of Chattanooga.
Superintendent of Press Work—Miss
Ernestine Noa, of Chattanooga.
State Organizer—Miss Hannah Price,
of Morristown.
Honorary President—Mrs. J. H. Allen, of Memphis.
The following were elected delegates
and alternates to the national convention to be held in Nashville: Mesdames
James McCormick, of Memphis; J. H.
Kelso, of Knoxville; Lenn A. Warner,
of Memphis; David Meriwether, of
Knoxville; E. M. Gillenwaters, of Knoxville; A. S. Buchanan, of Memphis: J.
H. Allen and Robert Beattie and Miss I
Margaret Ervin, of Chattanooga, and !
Miss Hannah Price, of Morristown.
Following are the alternates: Miss !
Frances Fort Brown, of Chattanooga;
Mrs. Sarah Hood, of Maryville; Mrs.
T. A. Hisey, of Morristown; Mrs. Mary
Trigg, of Jackson, and Mrs. Charles
SJmms, of Knoxville; Mrs. C. J. Wes-^
4ev and Miss Ernestine Noa, of Chatta-
looga; Mrs. A. Y. Scott, of Memphis,
.nd Mrs. Frances Church, of Memphis.
Reports from the state convention
stated that Miss Catherine Wester, state
treasurer, had been charged with insubordination by Mrs. French, and suspended, but Miss Ervin denied last night
that this had occurred.
