Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-05-11
MEETS NEW
OBSTACLES IN STATES
Connecticut Governor Denies His
Right to Call Special Session.
Delay in Louisiana.

Associated Press).-Gov. Marcus H.
Holcomb. replying to the request
made BY the "nying squadron" Of
suffragists representing the forty
special session Of the Connecticut
Legislature to act on the woman suf-
frage anne ndment., His decision was
given in letter to Miss Katherine
Ludington. president Of the Conecti-
cut Woman Suffrage Association.
Fifth Time He Has Refused.
Four times previously the governor
has refused to summon the legisla-
amendment. one occasion being after.
the republican state convention had
passed a resolution calling upon Gov.
Holcomb. republican. to take action
so that Connecticut might be the thir-
ty-sixth state to ratify the federal
amendment. His letter to Miss Lud-
ington follows:
Inc arguments presented at the
hearing last Friday. and at the sew
eral previous hearings, prove that
among many women and some men
In this and other states who believe
in woman suffrage there is a strong
desire that special session OF the
general assembly be called to ACT
upon the federal suffrage amendment
and not wait until the next regular
session next January. but these argu-
ments do not prove or tend to prove
the existence OF the special emer-
gency mentioned in our state conati-
tuition. which is the only authority
gwen the governor to call a special
THE claim made and urged a. ri,
days hearing. that there should he !
special session. because special ses-
sions were called to enable soldier
electors to vote at the Mexican bor-
der and in the late war has no force.
The distinction is clear; our soldier
electors were called from the state nv
the national government.
The special emergency was that ex
cept for special session they would
have been deprived Of exercising the
electoral right they then possessed
whereas, in the present case. a special
session - sought with the hope that
thereby women will acquire electoral
privileges they do not now possess.
MY conception of the constitutional
limitation Of the authority Of the
governor compels me to decline to call
q special session as you request"
Delsy in Louisiana.
BATON ROUGE. La, May 11.-If
Louisiana becomes the thirty.sixth
state to ratify the federal woman sur
frage amendment. the action will not
be taken before next week. Spirited
contests for speaker of the house and
president pro tempore Of tho senate
developed unexpectedly when the leg
islature convened yesterday, faction
lines were tightly drawn and suffrage
affairs were delayed.
Senator Williamson explained that
the ratifcationists desired the reso-
luton to 90 to committee, and that
as committees could not be appointed
until Monday. It was desirable to wait
until that day. It had been planned
! to Introduce a resolution. call for a
suspension Of the rules and seek to
adopt tho resolution on the nrst day
Of the session.
in the house plans were all laid
for action similar to that first planned
in the senate. Representative Reuben
chauvin Of Houma- however, when it
appeared that the fight for the speak
ership would be long and bitter. de-
cided not to introduce the resolution.
and q motion to adjourn followed the
election Of a speaker.
Both sides seemed satisfied that
ratification would pass the house.
However. neither side claimed the
senate.
States rights advocates today were
working particularly hard in the SEN
ate. whore Senator J. o. Stewart OF
Lake Charles had In charge q rssolu-
ton which would grant suffrage to
Louisiana women by amendment to
the state constitution.