The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-06-18
URGE SPECIAL
SESSION CALL
To Ratify Suffrage Amend
ment - Eugene Williams
Writes Gov. Roberts.

Local democrats are writing Gov, A
H. Roberts urging that he call a special
session OF the legislature for the pur.
pose OF ratifying the suffrage amend
ment, II Is also being urged that the
governor include in his call the annex
alton Of the suburbs TO Chattanooga
state Committeeman Eugene H. vii.
llams. OF this city, has written the gov.
ernor urging upon him the importance
OF calling an extra session. Mr. Williams
is OF the opinion that Gov. Roberts will
call the special session at an early
date. Mr.. Williams letter to the gov
June II. 1920.
Gov, A. II. Roberts, Nashville Tenn
NV Dear GOVERNOR am informed
although have not seen H. that by an
opinion OF the supreme court of the
United states, Tennessee win have the
authority In an extra session OF the
legislature TO pass upon tho ratlfica-
ton Of the woman suffrage amendment.
II this be true, ! think 1t would be
wise and proper to call an extra ses-
sion including this, IT is only a matter
OF short time when this amendment
VIII be ratified and the women will
have fun and free suffrage and be-
lievo II would be a great thing " Ten
nessee would be given the opportunity
to settle this question. | also respect
fully urge that N you call an extra
session Of the legislature that you In
olude In the call the question of an.
nexation of the suburbs 10 the city OF
Chattanooga. ! am, yours very truly
(signed) y, II. WILLIAMS,
Could Ratlfy.
The majority OF local lawyers are OF
the opinion that a called session OF the
legislature IL vested with the power to
ratlfy tho federal suffrage amendment
N accordance with the opinion OF the
United states supreme court In the re-
cent Ohio case. The Tennessee consti-
tuition holds that no amendment to the
constitution shall be ratified by legis-
iature unless that amendment was Rro-
posed before the election OF the mNm-
herH OF that Legislature, The United
States supreme court held. however,
that the Ohio law which said that an
amendment could not be ratified was In
conflict with the federal Constitution
and was therefore void,
=. Justice Day, IN delivering tho major
ity opinion of the court, said IN part
'"'rhe NTH article Is grant OF author
ity by the people to congress. The de-
termination OF the ratification IL the
exercise OF national power specifically
granted by tho Constitution that power
IN conferred on congress and ie limited
TO two methods, by action OF the ieEls-
latures OF three -fourths OF the states
or convention In q Ike number OF
states. Dodge Vs. woolsey. rs How
ard, asi and 3iS. Tho rramera OF the
NulbtltullpU l0lknt nave NUpnteu Ult~
teront method. Ratification might have
been left to n vote OF the people or TO
somo authority Of government other
than that selected The language OF
the article Ia plain and admits ot no
doubt In It's Interpretation. II II not
tho function OF courts or legislative
bodies, national or state, 10 alter the
method which the Constitg tioD has
hxeti. All OF the amendments TO the
Constitution have been submitted with
4 requirement for Legislative ratinca-
ton aud by. this method all OF them
have been adopted"
Foster v. Brown stated Friday that
he was Of the onlnion that IN the event
tho governor called an extra session of
the legislature the suffrage amendment
collld be ratified, The supreme court IN
Ohio recently held that an amendnent
TO the constitution was not controlled
by legislation and nm amendment could
he ratified as provided for under me
Constitution Of the United states.
r. Pope Shepherd was of the apin4on
could ratify federal amendment. al
though he admitted that the question
wnh n nice one, He stated that the
question was such nice one and Views
OF LAWYERS ao conflicting that IN the
event the legislature did ratlfy the Ruf-
frage Amendment IN special session an
appeal would probably be taken and
the caHc would 10 TO the supreme court,
and by the time II was decided ses.
sion of the new legislature would have
been held, Senator James II. Frazier
stated he had not read the ohio dcci.
sion. but he was NJ tho opinion, from
what he hnd gathered, that the ohio
cnse and the Tennessee case were not
parallel