Women -- Suffrage -- History; Women -- Suffrage -- United States -- History; Women's rights -- History; Women's rights -- United States -- History
In 1913, while Mr. Grossman was attending the convention of the
National American Woman Suffrage Association as a delegate, he was
requested by James Lees Laidlaw, president of the National Men's
League for Woman Suffrage, to undertake the organization of a Georgia
Men's League. He did so immediately on returning home, with the
following officers: President, Mr. Grossman; vice-presidents, the Rev.
Fred A. Line, the Rev. J. Wade Conkling, C. W. McClure, Dr. Frank
Peck, E. L. Martin, ex-president Macon Chamber of Commerce; S. B.
Marks and L. Marquardt, ex-presidents of the State Federation of
Labor. Mr. Grossman toured the State on behalf of woman suffrage under
the joint auspices of the Men's League and the State association. He
drafted, at their request, proposed bills and ratification
resolutions; appeared before the annual conventions of the Federation
of Labor, obtaining their formal endorsement of woman suffrage;
secured also the endorsement of the Civic Educational League,
comprising a great majority of the Jewish citizens of Atlanta;
occupied church pulpits and addressed women's clubs, civic bodies,
city councils and legislative committees. The members of the Men's
League gave whatever assistance was required.
The many State victories in 1912 put new life into the movement in
1913. The Georgia Young People's Suffrage Association was organized
with Miss Ruth Buckholz as president. To represent the association
Mrs. Amelia R. Woodall, corresponding, and Miss Katherine Koch,
recording secretary; Miss Mamie Matthews, treasurer of the young
people's society, Mrs. Landis Sanna, Mrs. Margaret Gardner, editor
Trox Bankston of West Point and J. J. Williams of Chatterton, were
sent to Washington to march in the parade on March 3. They carried the
suffrage flag made for the national convention in Atlanta in 1895,
with two handsome yellow banners prepared especially for the parade.
Five bills before the Legislature were supported this year as well as
the Federal Amendment. When Presidential suffrage was given to
Illinois women in 1913, the Atlanta _Constitution_ was so impressed
with the "nearness" of woman suffrage that it created a suffrage
department and offered the editorship to Mrs. McLendon. U. S. Senators
Hoke Smith and Augustus O. Bacon had been obliged to present the
petition of Georgia suffragists asking for the Federal Amendment, but
no beautiful speeches were made by them. Senator Smith had been on
record all his life as being "unalterably opposed to woman suffrage"
and voted against it whenever he had opportunity, adding insult to
injury by declaring, "Our best women do not want it." Senator W. S.
West, who succeeded Senator Bacon, was more amenable to reason, but
Senator Thomas W. Hardwick, who followed after Mr. West's death, has
been an implacable opponent. For the second time the Atlanta
Federation tendered the use of its beautiful Temple of Labor for the
day sessions of the State convention which met July 9, 10. The
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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