zations: Home of Friendless
Women, Flower Mission, Free Kindergarten Association, Humane Society,
Charity Organization Society, City Federation of Women's Clubs,
Kentucky Children's Home Society, W. C. T. U. and Women's Christian
Association.

[288] This Act was repealed in 1902 because more colored than white
women voted in Lexington at the spring election. This is the only
instance where the suffrage has been taken from women after being
conferred by a Legislature. [Eds.

[289] This college was opened to women in 1902.

CHAPTER XLII.

LOUISIANA.[290]

The history of woman suffrage in Louisiana must center always about
the names of Mrs. Elizabeth Lyle Saxon and Mrs. Caroline E. Merrick.
In 1879, before there had been any general agitation of this question
in the State, these ladies appeared before the convention which was
preparing a new constitution, and urged that the ballot should be
granted to women on the same terms as to men. The only concession to
their demands was a clause making women eligible to any office of
control or management under the School Laws of the State.

Mrs. Saxon continued to create equal suffrage sentiment until her
removal to another State, and Mrs. Merrick remains still a principal
figure in the movement. Until his death in 1897 she had the earnest
encouragement and assistance of her distinguished husband, Edwin T.
Merrick, for ten years Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Louisiana
prior to the Civil War.

As New Orleans is the only large city and contains one-fourth of the
population of a State which is among the most conservative in the
Union, organized work naturally would be confined to this locality,
but up to 1884 it had no active club or society of women. In this year
there was a demand by the press that the women of New Orleans should
organize for the promotion of the World's Cotton Centennial, to be
held there in the autumn and winter of 1884-85. This was done and the
Woman's Department was a conspicuous feature of the centennial. Mrs.
Julia Ward Howe of Massachusetts was the commissioner for the
Government, different States sent capable representatives and there
was cordial co-operation with the women of New Orleans.

[Illustration:

SUSAN LOOK AVERY.
Louisville, Ky., and Chicago, Ill.

HELEN PHILLEO JENKINS.
Detroit, Mich.

LOUISA SOUTHWORTH.
Cleveland, Ohio.

MARY BENTLEY THOMAS.
Ednor, Md.

KATE M