The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-07-18
Suffrage Amendment
 Defeated by Senate
Continued From Page One)


 until the forty-third legislative day, mak- ing it a special order for noon. In the
 senate the opponents of the measure,
 believing that the 19 who had pledged
 themselves to vote against ratification would remain unchanged, there was only passing notice of the move of the sui frage advocates MT. Carmichael made no effort to shut off speeches of the suffrage advocates there having been
 an agreement entered into by the oppo- sition to neither make speeches or inter
 fere with speech making of those favor ing it.
 Speaking for his motion Senator ! Bedsole told of the importance of the measure, and asked the opposition if 1t was afraid to postpone action. If you are afraid you will be changed then you should vote to postpone ac- tion," said the senator. You should have more light thrown on the matter, and I am sure no harm could be done your cause" He said the opposition would regret having voted against post ponement
 Senator Phillips intimated that Gov ernor Kilby had asked for postpone ment, hoping to get out of the way several important measures, among them being the revenue bill which car
 ries with it additional revenue of
 something like s4,OoOOOO He believed
 that hasty action would produce com plications which the senate would re-
 gret later
 READS PRESIDENTS PLEA At this point MT. Miller. the presid- ing officer read a telegram he had re-
 ceived from President Wilson. Mir
 Wilson asked for ratification of the
 amendment by the Alabama legislature
 We should give careful consideration
 to one of the most important measures
 ever to come before this senate" said
 Senator Watt Brown of St Clair coun-
 ty, speaking for ratification. Our
 great President, Mir. Wilson, can see
 into the future and he has asked that
 this amendment be ratified by the Ala
 bama legislature. The best way to dis
 pose of the resolution would be to postpone it as has been suggested to
 the ortythird legislative day It is
 by far the biggest thing to come be- fore this body" He pleaded that there should be time to clear the atmosphere of the misunderstanding resulting
 from the short campaign for ratifica-
 tion. He paid tribute to the women.
 who have been instrumental in get.
 ting prohibition in the country.
 Alabama needs the assistance, the
 guidance of her women" said Senator
 West of Jefferson county Alabama
 will be provided with things we have
 always needed if permission to vote Is
 given her women" He made plea in
 behalf of the children of Alabama, who, he said, will get better protection if
 their mothers are given the right to vote by Alabama men. He believed the ! women would take Alabama from the bottom of the ladder so far as illiteracy is concerned
 Strong speeches in favor of postpone
 ment were made by Senators Beale, Leith of Walker, Smith of Coosa, Craft
 of Mobile and Smith of Lawrence. Postponement was aked by Senator Craft because of his belief the measure
 was the most important in the history of the state and because the President had
 asked for ratification He appeared to realize that there was no possibility of
 ratification if it was permitted to come up Thursday.
 BRISCCO LEADS SUFFRAGISTS
 Senator Briscoe developed into the lead- ing man for the suffrage cause. On the floor he delivered the rapid fire ar guments in favor of postponement. In an effort to show the senate he desired further consideration he said there was
 not senator or woman in the building
 
 is a person who knows how I am going
 to vote he or she knows more than does my wife" said the senator.
 In a clear manner he explained that | failure of the senate to ratify at this 1 time would by no means kill the meas ure, and that it could come up from day to day for the next seven years. If de- ferred, he explained, it could not come up again until the forty y-third day. He asked that the attention of the law makers be directed toward other impor-
 tant bills. permitting the senators to con- | slider at leisure time the suffrage amend ment.
 | Fireworks of the suffragists came to an end when Senator Briscoe took his chair.
 Then Senator Carmichael informed the 1 senate that, at a caucus Wednesday the 1 opposition had agreed to make no ] speeches. He then made a motion that
 the Bedsole motion be tabled. | On the Carmichael motion 10 table the
 Bedsole motion came the first test vote, and one which showed conclusively that l the suffragists of Alabama had lost their | first battle with the men of the legis- l lature The arguments of the suffrage senators had not changed one vote. By
 vote of IS to 13 the senate refused to | postpone. tabling the Bedsole motion to defer action until the forty-third day. | The victory for the opposition, however, d;d not dishearten the suffrage side. Sen ator Rriscoe the nmade motion to in
 definitely postpone action because the vot- ere of Alabama had never had the oppor- tunity of having a word as 10 what