the president and secretary from U. S. Senators John Sharp
Williams and James K. Vardaman were read in reply to appeals that they
vote for the Federal Amendment. Senator Vardaman said that when the
amendment came up he would "be glad to vote for it." Senator Williams
said that he thought "the federal government ought not attempt to
control a State in the exercise of this privilege," that he favored a
"white woman's primary, in which the women of the State might say
whether they wanted the ballot or not" and that he thought women just
as competent to use it as men but did not approve of "forcing it upon
them." He was "inclined to woman suffrage" and believed that "with
safeguards it might be made a bulwark of white supremacy in the
State." The large reception planned by Governor and Mrs. Earl Brewer
had to be omitted because of the sudden illness of Mrs. Brewer. On
account of home demands Mrs. Thompson declined re-election and Mrs.
Dent was made president.

Under Mrs. Dent's administration the work prospered and advanced in
popular favor. In the fall "woman suffrage day" was for the first time
on the calendar of the State Fair. Headquarters were again maintained,
for which space three times as large as that used the previous year
was occupied. Mrs. Dent, a successful cotton planter, brought a bale
of cotton from her plantation and presented it to the headquarters,
where it afforded a unique platform for the speakers. Women from
different parts of the State came to act as hostesses and take part in
the speaking. This year a college contest was conducted by Mrs.
Thompson, who offered a gold medal for the best argument for woman
suffrage written by a college student of the State. Six of the largest
colleges were represented and the medal was won by Mrs. Pearl Powell,
of the Industrial Institute and College.

In April, 1914, the State convention was again held in Jackson. Among
the speakers were Rabbi Brill of Meridian and Mrs. Alex Y. Scott of
Memphis. Mrs. Dent was re-elected president. In the fall for the first
time there was a suffrage section in the parade that marked the
opening of the State Fair. Six women, gowned in white and wearing
yellow silk Votes for Women badges marched--Mrs. Ella O. Biggs and
Miss Sadie Goeber bearing a banner inscribed Women vote in twelve
States, why not in Mississippi? followed by Mrs. Thompson, Mrs. Avery
Harrell Thompson, Mrs. Sarah C. Watts and Mrs. R. W. Durfey and they
were generous