The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-08-19

Louisiana, have been invited to add
Judge ]. y. b, Debow, of the David
son county criminal ,court. today de-
livered q charge to the grand jury on
the subject OF lobbying with members
/ OF the legislature and efforts in1prop-
| erly TO Influence or corrupt the law
making power OF the state, the charge
being delivered with special reference
to the ratification fight in progress.
Charges that attempted bribery In
connection with the ratification yester-
Gay OF the amendment by the lower
mouse were made In two afff'lavits pub
lished today by the Nashville Tpnnes-
sean and Nashville Banner. The af-
iiants alleged that Representative Har-
ry t. Burn, McMinn county, RepuhH-
can, who voted with the suffrage OPP
position TO table the ratification reso~
luton and then switched to the suf-
fragists on the vote to concur in the
acuon OF thf senate was approached
Just prior to The roll call on the motion
TOT concurrence. A single vote decid-
60 the issue In favor Of suffrage.
Bribery Is Alleged.
The .affidavits were purported to have
been made by C. NJ Wallace Judge OF
me CITY court Of Lewlsburg, Tenn,
.n,1 sno Ennis E Murray. of Nashville,
general agent for the federal land bank
Of Louisville. Ky They claimed 10 have
heard several persons including Rep
resentative Joe Hanover. of Shelby
county and Maj. G. L. Daughtry, sec
Tetary to Gov. Roberts, insist to Burn
mat ne change HIS vote. According 20
Mprray,s affidavit, they told Burn
/ that tirey would give him anything in
| the. world he wanted and that 1t would
make him the biggest man In Tennes-
see, and ] understood Hanover TO say
1t would be worth $4,000 TO him
These men. Hanover and Daughtry,
were very persistent and urgent In try
inG to change the mind or vote OF young
Mr Burn, said the affidavit attributed
made the statement 20 Mr.. Burn that
IL he would change his vote that he
could get anything he wanted. And In
| the moment of excitement there was
made mention by Mr.. Hanover words
to this effect: That II would be worth
ten thousand dollars to YOU 4"
"Blackmail," Says Hanover.
Representative Hanover in state
ment, declared the charge was mo more
than clumsy effort to- blackmail or
embarrnss friends and supporters OF
| the rights Of our women"
| He only urged Burn To vote for rau-
| fleation, he said and Daughtry did no
| more than this.
| Mai. Daughtry declared he heard the
| conversation between Burn and Han
over and that Hanover did not al an"
| time intimate to Mr.. Burn that he would
| be paid any amount OF money or that
ne would be given any other consid-
grafton for his vote
Mrs. Leslie Warner. of Nashville. who
said she was present, issued a state
ment similar TO that Of naughtry.
Representative Burn, In a communi-
cation to the house this morning. which
was ordered spread on the journal. Bit
terly resented the charges. declared
them utterly false and explained that
he had changed his vote because of his
conviction, that justice demanded 1t.
Il know that @ mothers advice is al
ways safest for her boy to follow he
said and my mother wanted me TO
vote for ratification.
Il desired that my party, in both
state and nation. might say that 1t was
Republican from the mountains OF
East Tennessee, who made national
woman's suffrage possible at this date
not for any personal glory, but for the
glory OF his party
Representative Burn Is only ~ years
old, and is the youngest member Of the
Legislature.
Suffrage leaders generally ridlculed
the charges as preposterous and many
members OF the opposition expressed
similar views.
History of Stuff Drive.
Ratification by the Tennessee leglsla-
ture was the elimination Of an inten-
slve drive made by suffrage proponents
to have the amendment made effective
in time for the women of the country
to vote In the presidential election in
November. The drive was started when
West Virginia became the thirty-fourth
state to ratify early this year.
Washington was the thirtyfifth state
to ratify and on the same day Ii act
ed March %, Gov. Townsend of Della
ware called a special session OF the
Legislature of that state to act on the
amendment. The Delaware assembly
met early In May and the senate quickly
ratified. but action by the house was
delayed despite pressure brought to bear
by the leaders of both great political
parties and by President Wilson Fin
ally, on June the legislature adjourned
with the ratification resolution bin in
the house committee.
Meanwhile the Louisiana legislature
met and efforts were made to have 1t
act favorably. President Wilson ap-
pealed to Gov. Parker to recommend
ratification but the governor declined to
do so. ..
The ratification resolution was taken
up late In May and was debated at in
terVals through the months of June
and into July. Coy. Cox. the Demo-
cratic presidential nominee. threw his
influence on the side of the amend
ment declaring that the Democrats OF
the irgtslature owed II to their party
to ratity the amendment The legisla-
turc finally adjourned on July S, how
ever, without acting
While the Louisiana legislature was
considering the al estlon appeals for
planks favorable % suffrage were made
TO both the Republican and Democratic
conventions, and the Republican con-
Nention was picketed by representatives
NJ The womens party Suffrage planks
wcru inserted in bots platforms.
Vermont Refuses to Act.