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If women gain partial suffrage in Arkansas in this session of the legislature, Earl E. Plowman, a Gazette reporter, will deserve as much credit as the author a/ the bill which passes, though it is doubtful if it will be accorded him. Some one down in Texas discovered that the constitution of that state, which is practically the same as was that of Arkansas until the I. R. began to work upon it, did not prevent women voting in the primaries. A bill was introduced in the Texas legislature to extend suffrage cO the women in. primary elections, and Plowman read the story. With the true newspaper instinct, Plowman started out to see if there was not a story of the same kind possible in Arkansas. He met another newspaper man and asked him what chance there would be to get the bill introduced in the Arkansas legislature. Plowman is no suffragist, but he saw a good story for his paper and wanted it. The compatriot was well advised on the policies of the different legislators, and knowing that Representative John Riggs, another newspaper man, was an ardent advocate of “Votes for Women, Plowman was sent on a quiet hunt for Riggs. The following morning the Gazette contained a first page story about the possibilities of a bill that would extend suffrage to women.Just as soon as he could get legal advice and the bill drawn, Representative Riggs presented the bill to the House, and when it comes to a tight on the floor, or pulling wires under the cover Riggs is an artist, and his bill passed the House in a very few days by a tremendous majority-; Mr. Riggs was almost Hobsonized by. tho suffrage lobby, but he survived and continued to smile, and hia bill was transmitted to the Senate.Senator Garrett of Okolona introduced a somewhat similar measure in the Senate several days later, but it is still pending there.
Newspaper Details
Harrison Times
Harrison, Arkansas, US
Sat, Feb 24, 1917
Page 7
Full Page
Clipped by
Arkansas S.
AR, USA 01 Nov 2016
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