The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-06-24
WOMEN THREATEN BOLT
If DEMOCRATS FAIL THEM
New Hope Lies in Tennessee.
Miss Sue White Telegraphs
~ Mrs. Baker.

San Francisco, June 24.--The ma
tional woman's party has found over
night new hope of national enfranchise-
ment of women In time for them to vote
in every state at the forthcoming presi-
Dental election. Mrs. Abby Scott Baker;
who Is here to represent the party be-
fore the democratic national conven-
ton. said that the new hope lay with
a democratic state, Tennessee, ana
that, unless the democrats gave the
women the needed ratification by the
thirty-sixth state her party would fight
the democrats Just as 1t already plans
to fight the republicans.
Mrs. Baker followed her announce
ments with the direct threat that the
national womans party would affiliate
its organization with the proposed
third party IL neither the democrats
nor the republicans ratify the amend
ment in the remaining state needed.
The sudden decision to put every pos
sible pressure upon the democrats TO
get Gov. Roberts to call the Tennes-
see legislature in special session is
based upon a series of legal opinions
that recent supreme court decisions IN
the Ohio suffrage and prohibition ref
erendum cases open the way for Ten
nessee to ratify at once regardless OF
the provision of the state law that an
election must intervene between favor
| able action in Washington upon pro.
posed constitutional amendment and
ratification thereof by the state of Ten
nessee.
The Ohio decisions were in essence.
that the Constitution has provided the
method Of its own amendment and that
state regulations for ratification which
change, conflict with or amplify this
method are in themselves unconstitu-
tional.
Tennessee Leader Reports.
From Sue S. White, Tennessee state
chairman of the national woman's
party Mrs, Baker today received the
| following telegram:
BEST legal authority believes that
the Ohio case sets aside the restriction
| in the Tennessee constitution. ! have
talked with United States Solicitor
General Frierson,' member of the Chat
tanooga bar, who has been in constant
correspondence with the Tennessee
| attorney general on the subject. have
secured written opinions from Sem
ator Walsh. of Montana; from Joseph
Folk, former governor OF Missouri, and
a former Tennessean. The state dem
ocratic convention on June adopted
plank demanding that the governor
call special session to assess poll
tax on women exercising the presiden-
| tial suffrage in ~the November election
and requesting that the ratification be
Included In the proclamation provided
It appears valid. AS state chairman
Rave sent formal request to Gov.
Previously" said Mrs Baker. Eve
have not blamed the democrats as we
have the republicans because we havt
taken the position OF no got. no can
do. Now we see that the democrats
Fof Tennessee are just as able to give
us the thirty-sixth state on their
shelves as were the republicans to take
down and wrap up for US either Con-
| ncticut or Vermont. We believe the
democrats will be quick 10 see the rum
ming start toward victory they can gain
by giving all women the vote and that
they will do everything in their power
to that end
We shall not picket this convention
u they do not. because we feel there
| has been time enough TO work upon
Gov. Roberts as there had been in the
ease Of the Vermont and Connecticut
governors. In addition, there Is no
time left to organize a pieketing demon
stration."
Asked ~ she believed the women
would affiliate with a third party II both
The democrats and republicans disap-
pointed their suffrage hopes. regardless
OF the platform and personnel OF that
party. Mrs. Baker first said that the
| national wOman's party would ask the
women to refrain from voting with
either OF the existing parties.