Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-08-22
Reconsideration of Action in
Amendment Ratification
Killed in Tennessee.
LACK REGULAR QUORUM,
BUT CLAIM LEGALITY
Court Forbids Governor or Other
Officials Named to Certify, on
Constitutional Grounds. :.


BY the Associated Press
NASHVILLE, August 21-Develop-
ments today in the bitter fight over
ratlncation of the woman suffrage
amendment by Tennessee left the situa.
tion tonight in such an ENHANCEMENT of
technicalities that many suffragists and
all opponents declared the courts would
have to decide the status of the measure
The outstanding features were these;
An injunction temporarily restraining
Gov. Roberts, Secretary Of State Stevens
and Speakers Andrew Todd and Seth
Walker. of the Senate and House, re.
spectively. from certifying ratification
to Washington or from taking any other
action with regard to the amendment, on
the ground this legislature had no leGal
right to act upon it. was issued by
Judge E. F. Langford of the chancery
court of Davidson county. The injunc-
ton is returnable within five days on
agreement /.
Action ON Walker Motion.
The suffrage majority in the house
ton that the house reconsider it's action
in ratifying the amendment and killed
it.
Twenty-Five members Of the house op-
posed to suffrage left in a body shortly
after last midnight for Decatur, Ala,
in an effort to break the quorum and
prevent action on the Walker motion,
their absence resulting in what was
characterized as one Of the most not
able parliamentary tangles in the his
tory of American legislative bodice
Claims OF Two Factions.
Suffrage leaders tonight declared
they wereo ION top of the worldr
and that the only obstacle now to
certification to Secretary Of state
Colby was the restraining order is-
sued by Judge LAngford. which they
expected to overcome with little DIM
Guilty.
On the other hand, Speaker Walker,
leader Of the opposition, and scores
Of his lieutenants said the suffrag gists
had ruined their cause because Of
their tactics and that. even should
the courts eventually hold ratification
legal. the litigation would 30 delay
a final decision that the amendment
would not figure in the November
elections, unless Connecticut or YER
mont ratified it before that time.
The situation was the result Of Mr..
Walkers motion that the house re-
consider it's action. When the house
last Wednesday concurred in the actien
of the senate in rafting the amend
ment Speaker Walker. in order to
enter a motion on the journal that
the house reconsider the matter.
changed his vote from may" to AYE"
BY this step he reserved to himself
alone for two days the privilege Of
moving reconsideration. After that
period any member who voted in the
affirmative was privileged to call the
motion from the journal and request
action upon it.
Walker failed to muster a majority
Thursday and Friday and did not dare
to act, for he would have been de-
feated by the suffragists and the
fight against ratification. SO far az the
legislature was concerned. would
have been ended.
suRraeists Take Offensive.
When Walker realized yesterday
that he did not have a majority he
attempted to carry a motion to ad-
journ until Monday afternoon for the
usual week end recess. The motion
was defeated and the suffragists fer
the first time took the offensive Ana
forced adjournment overnight.
The object of the suffrage forces 10
holding the house in session today
was to get at the Walker motion fer
reconsideration and kill it It had
been held that since the motion was
y matter OF record. ratification could
not properly be certified until 1t had
been disposed of.
The opposition minority. realizing
that tho battle was lost II a session
was held and they were not in q ma
jority. rounded up enough of their
members late last night to break .
quorum. boarded an early morning
train and left the state. to remain UNI
special session of the assembly had
expired.
The motion to reconsider was on
the journal and it remained alive"
as long as it was not taken there
from and acted upon. or until the
legislature had adjourned sine dis.
Prevent Final Adjournment.
The boilers acted in the knowisdte
that il a quorum of the house was not
present at any time during the re-
naming days Of the session. adjourn:
ment sine die would be impossible.
They might be forced to attend the
session were they in Tennessee before
the expiration Of the twenty legislas
tive days. but after that period the
state had no power to compel their
because their compensas
ton as members ceased.
This would leave the legislature In
a state OF being in session with no
members Of the house present and
without the power to enforce their att
tendance. e,
The governor could not call another
special session. because the previous
session would not have adjourned sine
lie. His only recourse would have
been to wait until after the election