The Covington leader. (Covington, Tenn.) 18??-current, 1920-09-02
HOUSE PASSES
NONCONCUR MOTION
SUFFRAGE AMENDMENT is IN
ANOTHER MIDDLE
House Members Attempt Back Up
On Former Action, But Reversal
ImDOssible-AttOrney General Says
It Is Law Now.

It Is Law Now.
A special from Nashville to the
Memphis Commercial Appeal dated
August 81 says:
The old story of locking the stable
door after the horse is gone was re.
enacted by TIE House Of Representa-
lives this afternoon in its ATTEMPT
to undo the work of two weeks ago.
when by vote of so to Al it conf
nleted the ratification Of the Susan
3. Anthony amendment to the consti-
tuition of the United States. It voted
this afternoon to nonconcur in the
Senate resolution proposing ratifica-
tion.
The entire proceeding lacked in
terest because it is generally agreed
that ratification has been accomplish
ed But there was spice in it be-
cause the ratificationists put up a
fight anyway.
II was evident early In the day
that the antis were in the majority.
and that they would put their pro
gramme through with machine-like
precision. This IS exactly what they
did. -
Their first move was to expunee
from the journal of August 81 all
reference to suffrage except the roll
call Of that date and thepoint of or
der made bv Speaker Seth Walker
that no quorum was present. This was
the day the quorum was first broken.
Thirty-eight members failed to show
IN II was later learned that thew
were in Alabama. However Repre-
sentative Riddick of Memphis. CON
tenfed thatin theEnatter of a suffrage
amendment the Legislature acted as
Federal agency and the motion to
reconsider Yves called up by quorum
less House and killed
Tcdav, after this was expunged
from the journal. the ants. bv vote
Of Az to 81 ordered a certified cow
Of the ratification resolution. the
ORIGINAL If which is in the Senate
spread upon the journal. It was then
q matter Of only moment to recon-
slider the action of August II in
adonting the resolution, and then a
nation II ecnrnr was adonted hv !
vote Of Az to "a, with 20 members
not voting.
Representative Riddick protested
against the entire proceeding. He de-
clared that the resolution was out of
the jurisdiction of the House and
really that the amendment was now
9 part of the constitution of the
United States. since it had already
been proclaimed by the secretary of
state at WASHINGTON. HeSurred this
IN point Of order. Speaker Walker
overruled him.
The discussion immediately precad-
lng the vote to nOnconeur provoked
the insistence Of Mr. Riddick that re-
consideration was now impossible. He
read a letter from Acknowledgement
Thompson. stating that in the opinion
OF TIE attornev-peneral there could
now be no reconsideration. This did
rot alter the nlans of the ants. In
fact, they seemed to enjoy it and
went ahead with their plan in the
most methodical way.
The proceeding ended with a mo-
tlon bv Representative Hall leader
OF the so-called "red-rose brigade"
which went to Alabama, to notify the
Senate that the House had reconsid,
cred it's action on the suffrage
amendment md had voted to noncon-
vote.
Ants tonight seem TO take unto
themselves some confidence that they
have at least muddied the waters, but
ratlficationists are not inclinded to
take the proceedings seriously. They
would have felt much better If their
majority had been present and could
have prevented the action of TODAY.
but all agree that the courts will notl
look behind Gov. Roberts certificate.
That certificate informed Secretary
of State Colby that Tennessee had |
assented to the nineteenth amend
ment.
They stand or fall on this one
point. No one pretends to belive |
that the quorumless session of Aug
ust "a was not disposed of then.
The most interesting feature of |
the entire proceedings Of today is
the vote. The ants were able to
hold every one of their members. Be
sides. they gained Crawford, of /
Bedford. Mr.. Crawford was long re-
garded as doubtful, but whenthe test
came he voted to ratify. Today he
voted with the majority to noncon-
cur.
Governor Roberts decliped to make
any statement tonight as to the eff
feet of the action of the House say
ing that the matter was a purely le-
gal one and in the hands of Attorney
General Thompson.
Antiratificationists would not state
tonight whether they expect to make
an effort to have the Senate. which
voted to ratify Is to 4. to reverse its
action.