The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-06-20
Pursuing the Suffrage Amendment
BY FREDERIC j. HASKIN
BY FREDERIC J, HAsKlN

ment Is waste OF money. II will onl,
delay the game. and necessitate Tho
expenditure OF a great deal more money
by the suffrage organizations, which
might otherwise be used In educationa
work. II Is estimated that over 81 .o00.-
900. would have been saved II the suf-
frage amendment had passed the sen.
ate. two years ago, 10 say nothing of the
bother that would have been saved II
| the amendment could have been offered
for ratification last year when forty
one legislatures were In session.
Fortunately. this year many special
sessions OF the state legislatures must
| be called any way to consider problems
| or reconstruction, and the. women will
be able TO take advantage OF that. In
the twenty-eight states Uncludjng Ar
| kansas and Texas. having primary suf-
4 frsgeD where women have the vote, a
quick ratification Is expected Last
year suffrage was defeated In a popular
referendum In Texas, but the majority
was very small-so small. In fact, that
the frlendllness OF the Texas senator's
will Offset IL. in the opinion OF the suf-
frage leaders. Texas Is calling a special
session OF its Legislature this month,
and the issue will. therefore. soon be
decided.
Other states, In which regular and
special sessions are already scheduled
for this year or next, are Ohio, Geor-
gla. Alabama, Louisiana. New Jersey,
Maine. Iowa, Kentucky, South Carolina,
Mississippi. Virginia and Maryland.
While the suffragists are certainly not
placing their hopes on the southern
states. they point out that every state
In the south has at some time or other
cast vote for suffrage in the United
States senate. Even South Carolina
and Mississippi, whose senators voted
against the amendment recently, voted
for II two years ago when it was de-
y tu n1x fa1
that Virginia. North Carolina. South
Carolina. Georgia, Alabama, and the
northern states of Massachusetts, and
Connecticut are doubtful. The suffra-
gists assert they can get along without
these states. however, and still have a
wide margin.
Florida is a southern state which is
extremely friendly to the suffrage cause,
It's governor even having gone so far
as to indorse the pieketing tactics at
the White House.8 The Florida legis-
lature also passed a. resolution not long
ago. calling upon congress to pass the
amendment. But the Florida state con-
stitution provides that an election must
intervene between the submission OF an
amendment and its ratification, so that
ratification In this state will be delayed |
Maine is a hopeful state, owing to
the fact that both of its senators voted |
Tor the amendment, and so is West |
Virginia. The suffragists also expect |
Ohio to ratify. although suffrage was |
recently defeated by popular referen- |
dunn In that state. through. the women |
claim. the strong opposition of the
liquor interests. Inasmuch as the LIQUOR
interests have always been the bitter |
est opponents to woman suffrage. the
suffragists rare inclined to crow over
the prohibition amendment, which pre-
ceded their own triumph.
New Jersey. 1t is believed. will ratify. |
Its former governor. Edge. who has |,
Just taken his seat in the senate, is
strongly In favor of suffrage. And the
state could hardly refuse to
back him up in his plea for the en-
reimbursement OF women. New Hamp-
shire Is another state which can be
counted upon with comparative certain
". The suffrage sentiment is so. strong
here that the lower house of the legis-
ature passed a resolution calling upon
he United States senator's from New
Hampshire to vote for the amendment.
,lToporrow's letter. Neglected Serv-
ce Men,,