Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-08-26
ANT|-SUFFRAG|STS
. ARE AGAIN LOSERS
IN COURT ACTION
Serious Setback in Dis
trict of Columbia Almost
Destroys Last Hope.
NO FURTHER EFFORT TO
HALT PROCLAMATION
Justice Refuses to Issue "Show
Cause" Order Against Sccre-
tary of State Colby.
tBy Associated Press.

WASHINGTON, August 25.-Anti-
suffrage forces received another set
back today when Justice Siddons, of
the District of Columbia Supreme
Court refused to issue a .,show
cause" order against Secretary Colby
preliminary TO the issuance OF an
Injunction to restrain that Official
from proclaiminG the nineteenth
amendment a law of tho land. The
order would have required Mr. Colby
10 Show cause why the Injunction
should not be issued. The action was
brought by Charles $. Fairchi!ds, an
official or the American constitutional
league, on behalf Of himself and the
organization.
No further effort would be made to
prevent the issuance OF the proclama-
ton, Alfred d. Smith. attorney for
Mr. FairchiIds, said
The official ccrtiGcation OF Tennes-
sees ratification OF the amendment
was expected to arrive from Nash
vile some time tonight and Sccrc-
tary Colby indicated that he would
issue the proclamation as soon as he
received Governor Robcrts' certinca-
ton.
CONTINUE Court Eight.
The campaign OF the anti-suffrages
forces would now be directed at an
effort to obtain early action in the
United States Supreme Court on the
question OF the validity OF the Ten
nessee ratification. NJ. Smith an
nounccd. He said that he wouid ask
an informal order of dismissal from
Justice Siddons in order that he
might appeal to the District OF Col
umb!a Court OF Appeals at once with
a request that the case be certified
directly TO the Federal Supreme Court
and set for early trial.
The action of Justice Siddons today
parallelcd in measure that OF Jus
tice Bailey OF the same court last
month except that Justice Ba,iey
granted n show cause order against
Secretary Colby in similar bin filled
by the same plaintiffs, but after
hearings declined to issue the in
junction asked on grounds OF lack OF
jurisdiction and insufficient showing.
In dismissing the bill today Justice
Shdons said that he did not wish TO
review Justice Bailey's action in n
similar case and that to issue the
show cause order would be an "un-
warranted Interference with 4 pure
ly ministerial action OF the Secretary
OF State"
Endnngcr Election Validity.
to obtain decision before the
appeal should be carried through the
District of Columbia Court of Appeals
to the supreme court il could not be
a. A. 49,
ing OF the court in October with little
likelihood that decision would be
reached beforA election day, Novem-
Der .. In that event. IL was pointed
out, the women OF the country would
be legally entitled TO vote with the
result that should the supreme court
later decide against the legality OF
the Tennessee ratification, the valid
ity OF the entire national election
would be in question.
The anti-suffrage forces are also
challenging the legality of ratifica-
tion> in Missouri. West Virginia and
Ohio.
Omcial notice Of Tennessee's rati-
fcation was expected to arrive at the
State Department after midnight to-
night, according to suffrage leaders
who have been following the docu-
ment since 1t was placed in the
mails at the office of Governor Rob-
erts in Nashville. Secretary Colby
was reported TO have promised 10
wait at the department tonight until
late hour, and 4 large delegation
of suffragists announced their inten-
ton OF being on hand when the Ger
tificate arrived.