Evening star., 1919-10-05
WOMEN GROW ANXIOUS
AS TO VOTE IN 1920
L.
Nineteen More States Must Ratify the
Constitutional Amendment to Make g
It Effective. =

cation are seventeen in number: Ari.
zona, Thomas Z. Campbell, repubff.
can; California. William D. StephenA
Holcomb. republican: Delaware. John q.
Townsend. tr.. republican; Idaho. d. w.
Davis. republican: Indiana. James p,
Goodrich, republican,: Maine, Carl Is.
Mililken. republican: Nevada. Em,nst
A. Larrzolo. republican,: North Ds.
Rota; Lynn J. Frazier. republican:
Oregon. Ben W. Olcott. republican,;
south Dakota, Peter Norbeck. republi-
republican; Washington. Louis F.
Hart, republican: West Virginia.
John G. Cornwell, democrat. and Wyo-
ming. Robert d. Carey. republican.
or the seventeen governors of these
states fourteen are republicans and
three democrats. The legislatures in
these states are controlled by the re-
publicans except in two instances.
Arizona and Oklahoma.
when Congress finally put through
the resolution submitting the suffrage
amendment to the Constitution to tha
states for ratification, the sufYrare
leaders exp1 eted immediate ratifica-
ton by the states at special sessions
or the legislatures. But they found
governors of many of the states UNI
willing to call special sessions. Tho
governors said that they .at feel
like putting their states to the ex-
pense entailed. or that the crops had
TO be gotten in. or that there might
be agitation of questions 1t was bet.
ter TO keep quiet. such as the Jam
anese problem on the Pacific coast.
This was true particularly. Of the
western governors, in states which
already had woman suffrage. and unor
whom the SnfYra o. Ia
ing for quick action to give impetus
to the ratification drive.
suhragist Hopes Higher.
However. Utah held its special rati.
ncation session last week, and COL
orado has called one for October is.
so the suffragists' hopes are higher
than a little while ago. Also, it is
said, many of the governors have
oeen pledged to call special sessions
before the national elections next
Announcement has come from Hart
Iord, Conn.,, on the other hand, that
Gov. Holcomb has refused to call .
special session, on the ground that
no special emergency exists at this
time to warrant assembling the leg
islature.
A word about the states that have
already ratified. seventeen in num-
Der. They and the dates upon which
they ratified are as: follows: wiscofi-
sas, June 16; Ohio. June 16: New
York. June is; Illinois, June IT: PENN
sylvania, June, "a; Massachusetts,.
June 25; Texas. June %; Iowa, July 2:
Missouri, July 3: Arkansas, July 20
Montana. July 80; Nebraska. August
Hampshire, September 10; Utah. Sep-
tember 30.
Texas, Arkansas and Missouri, an
southwestern states. have ratified the
amendment, and Oklahoma. usually
put in the same category is expect
peals were sent by President Wilson
and members Of his cabinet to leaH
ers in the legislatures of the southr
eastern states. urging ratification. IN
Georgia the legislature voted again18
ratification; in Virginia the legisl&-
ture adopted a resolution opposing
ratification without actually votiug
upon a ratification. resolution. and IN
Alabama the state senate voted
against ratification by a majority Nf
two votes. The women. however. be-
lieve that the cause Of suffrage ID
looking up more and more even IN
Dixie land.
Held Up by State Laws. Is
Incy say CQAI Two SoutuSIu SI6tcO
could have been counted upon to
ratify the suffrage amendment il II
had not been for provisions in their
state laws to the effect that an cleo
ton must intervene between the sub
mission of an amendment and action
on it. They are Tennessee. where the
women have presidential suffrage. and
Florida. where the governor and the
legislature are pledged 20 support
the amendment.
Whether the amendment is ratifiea
in time for the coming national cleo
tions or not. women are going to play
an important part in those contesta.
1t has been estimated that in the
states which have already given the
women the vote by their state con~
stitutions there are approximately IT,
100000 of voting age. The women have
full suffrage in fifteen states, presi-
Dental suffrage in twelve and prf-
mary suffrage in two. Out Of the
531 electoral votes for President and
Vice President 326 will come from
suffrage states, and it is no secrst
that the republican managers are
very much pleased thereby -