The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1920-08-26
j. {. WOMEN NOW
VOTERS ON SAME
TERMS AS MALES
Proclamation Putting Suffrage
in Effect Issued Today
BY SECRETARY OF STATE
flr, Colby Took No Chances and Signed
the Proclamation Before He
Went to His Office.

Washington, Aug, 26. Secretary of
State cambridge Colby this forenoon
at his home, signed the proclamation
that gives 27O0OOOO women in the
United States the same voting rights
as men,
The certification from Governor
Roberts OF Tennessee arrived on this
mornings mali and, supposedly by Sec
retafy Colby's direction was delivered
at his home. and he announced when
he reached his office that the proclaim
alton was already signed.
Apparently Secretary Colby did not
care to take any chances OF being held
up by an injunction or other process
at the last minute. The proclama
tion had been prepared in advance and
was only waiting the certificate from
Tennessee.
The 18th amendment which now be-
comes the supreme law Of the land
and supercedes the Jaws and constitu-
tions of the several states, merely
takes the word male out Of the list
OF qualifications of citizen.
Washington, Aug. 25.-Anti.suffrage
forces received another setback today,
when Justice Siddons of the District OF
Columbia Supreme Court refused to is
sue show cause" order against Sec.
retary Colby preliminary to the issu-
ance of an injunction to restrain that
official from proclaiming the nine.
teenth amendment law OF the land
The order would have required Mr.
Colby to show cause why the iniunc-
on should not be issued, The action
was brought by Charles s. Farchllds,
an official OF the American Constitu-
tional League on behalf OF himself aud
the organization.
No further effort will be ma1c to
prevent the issuance OF the proclama.
tien, Alfred d. Smith, attorney for Mr..
Fairchlds, said,
The official certfication of Tennes-
sees ratification of the amendment
was expected to arrive from Nashville
some time tonight. and Secretary Col
by indicated he would issue the pro
clamation as soon as he received Gov
ernor Roberts certiticaton. F.
The efforts of the anti:suffragiSts
will now be directed along line to Sc
cure action In the United States SUI
preme Court on the question of the
validity of the Tennessee ratification,
Mr.. Smith announced, He said he
would ask formal order of dismissal
from Justice Siddons in order that he
might appeal to the District of Coum.
bias Court Of Appeals, with request
tha. the case might be certified direct.
ly to the Federal Supreme Court and
set for early trial
The action OF Justice Siddons. TO.
day paralleled in a measure that OF
Justice Bailey of the same court last
month, except that Justice Bailey
granted "a show cause" order against
Secretary Colby in similar bin
fled by the same plaintiffs. but after
hearing declined to issue the inithc,
tion asked on grounds OF lac& of
jurisdiction and insufficient showing
In dismissing the bill today. Jus
tce Siddons said that he did not
wish to review Justice Bailey $ action
in a similar case and that to issue the
Shcw cause order would be an "un-
warranted interference with a purely
ministerial action of the Secretary of
State,
Mr. Smith said tnat he sill hoped
t) obtain a decision before th3 No
vein0er elections. If however, the
appeal should be carried through the
District CT Columbia Court Of Ap-
peals to the Supreme Court, it could
not be argued until after the regular
meeting Of the court in October. WITH
little likelihood that a decision would
be reached before election day. No
ycmber 2, In that event. ii was
pointed out, the women Of tho coun.
try would be legally entitled to vote,
with the result tnat should the Su-
preme Court later decide against the
legality of the Tennessee ratification
the validity of the entire national
election would be in question.
The anti-suffragist forces also are
challenging the legality of ratiHca-
tion in Missouri, West Virginia and
Ohio