The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-08-21

} The lower house of the Tennessee
legislature could hold no session today
for lack OF quorum, only 80 members
answering roll call. Sixty-six members
constitute "A quorum.
Speaker Walker directed the sergeant-
at arms to arrest and bring before tne
bar OF the house all absent members.
The speaker declared the house In re.
cess for one hour to give the sergeaht-
at arms time to round up absentees.
When the hour was up 7. X. Riddick,
suffrage leader, declaring the legisla-
ture was acting under iederal .ssos an1 nos
amendment and that the state constltu-
| tionai quorum was not necessarys
moved that the Walker motion lot re-
consideration OF ratification be taken
| from the journal The speaker held the
Riddiek motion out Of order. ON an ap-
peal to the house the speaker was oVer-
| ruled by a vote of 40 to 8.
Riddick then moved that the house re-
consider its concurrence in the SEN
ate's ratification Of the amenonsnl
Walker, from the floor, then made :
point OF order that there was no
quorum demanding that IL be recorded
in the journal :.
lernoon then was made and immediately
Walker made another point OF orner
that the speaker pro TEN, under the
terms OF the injunction, also was re-
strained from any action. The house.
however. adjourned without ruhnk
from the chair.
Thirty members Of the house early
Saturday left their hotels and took the
train for Decatur. Ala. TO break QUO
rum and prevent any action on w
move to reconsider the action OF the
house in concurring with the senate y
ratifying the amendment. No QUORUM
was present az 10 am
Sweeping away OF the last obstacS
In the way u oertiflcauon to Mas.s
ington OF ratification was planned
suffrage leaders SATURDAY mornln1
This was 10 be accomplished by oaintl I
5 from the house journal q motion IN
the house reconsldered its action
/ concurring with the senate's adopti0i
, Of the ratification resolution, and de-
! featlng II either through vote on ths
motion itself or by sending It toNthe
, table.
by Speaker Seth walker last We'd
nesday when he changed his vote on
ratification from may" TO aye" Un.
der the rules the speaker alone had
the privilege Of calling up the motiun
for action during the next two legis-
lative days. His failure to do so made
II possible for the suffragists to call
II up and this was their intention to-
day Some parliamentarians held that
Walkers failure to act ended the mat
ter but others declared the motion. now
recorded as offered but not acted upon
must be disposed OF before the suf-
| fraga amendment would she ready u
gp to the engrossing clerk.
victory FOR the suffragists. how.
ever. would not mean the question OF
| ratification by Tennessee Is out OF the
woods Judge Joseph Higgins, oi
Nashville president OF the Tennessee
constitutional league. said that IL the
success OF the suffragists in the house
is assured he is prepared to sue out q
writ Of injunction restraining Gov
Roberts and the secretary OF state from
certifying the measure to Washington
; ON the ground that action by this leg
islatur'e was in violation OF the state
constitution This is regarded In many
quarters as presaging lengthy litiga-
! tion for the opening Of legal authorities
In all parts OF the country is sharply
} divided on the question involved.
) The constitution provides that no leg.
islature should pass upon a proposed
: amendment unless II should have been
elected after the proposed measure had
been submitted TO the states by con-
gress This legislature was elected
in November 1918. Congress submitted
the suffrage amendment months later.
Gov Roberts called the special ses-
after receiving opinions Of w. L. Frler-
son. solicitor general OF the United
| States and Attorney General Thomp-
son, that a decision OF the supreme
court OF the United States in holding
invalid referendum clause in the
Ohio constitution also served TO null
lify the clause of the Tennessee con-
, stitution in question. Many authors
, ties maintain the two cases arc not
| parallel and every effort to have the
validity Of the Tennessee provision UPS
held is expected.