New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-03-29
Governor Ends
Suffrage Hope
In Connecticut
Holcomb Decides Not to Go
to Chicago Convention to
Prevent Lieut.. Governor
Calling Special Session
Special Dispatch to The Tribune


HARTFORD, Conn, March 2S.-Ore
little chance of getting together the
altogether willing and eager Con-
necticut Legislature to make the neces-
Susan B. Anthony suffrage amendment
went glimmering to-day when it was
announced by John Buckley, secretary
to Governor Marcus H. Holcomb, that
the Governor had decided not to attend
the Chicago convention and would re-
main in Connecticut, on the job.
Under the Connecticut constitution
the Lieutenant Governor, Clifford B.
Wilson, Mayor of Bridgeport, and long
an ardent suffragist, would become act
ing Governor the moment Governor
Holcomb crossed the New York State
line. 1t is presumed he would waste
no time calling special session.
About every possible contingency
spite of the Governors refusal to act
has been suggested The suffragists
openly declare that even more than
State Chairman j. Henry Roraback and
Charles Hopkins Clark, editor of "The
Hartford Courant," the Governor S
ambitious young secretary, Buckley, is
guilty of holding up ratification be-
cause of his influence with the Gov
ernor, who is in his seventy-sixth year.
Buckley aspires to be Speaker of the
House.
See Governor as "The Goat"
A new scheme of certain women
suffragists to have the legislators call
themselves together to ratify the
amendment is not meeting with much
favor from the real leaders, men and
women, and it is likely to be discarded
at the meeting of the board of strategy
in the Taft Hotel, New Haven, to-
morrow noon. At this time Colonel
Isaac NJ. Ullman, of New Haven, will
give luncheon to a number of Re-
publican leaders, including Senator
Spencer, of Missouri, and plan of
action will be decided upon with refer
ence to an appointment which Colonel
Holcomb at the State Capitol Tuesday
noon.
Colonel Ullman openly told the state
convention last week that, regardless
Of the merits of woman suffrage, he be-
lieved it party policy now to favor il
and party suicide for Connecticut to re.
fuse to become the thirty-sixth state
for ratification.
Now 1.-THE Hartford Courant" believes
that the Governor is being made the
goat because he is standing firm on 8
constitutional technicality and is saw
ing the Presidential election from being
thrown into the courts while the
Roraback convention gets credit from
Republican National Headquarters fol
having done all it could to bulge the
obdurate Governor.
Many Favor Radical Move
The idea Of having the Legislature
convene automatically and in de-
fance of the Governor is favored BY
former State Attorney General Johr
H. Light, of Norwalk, under section
Of the original Connecticut Constitu
tion, which provided for annual ses
sions Oater changed to bienniaD of the
General Assembly, and "at such other
times as the General Assembly shall
judge necessary"
This rather obsolete and amended
section has been generally forgotten
and few lawyers who favor suffrage ar.
willing to concur with Judge Light
view. Mrs. Helena Hill Wee, daughter
Of the late Congressman Ebenezer
Hill and prominent in the Womani
Party is trying to gather enough ad
herents Of this radical procedure Il
have it tested. If Delaware woul,
only ratify the amendment, Governor
Holcomb might once more revise hi.
plans and go to Chicago, to see hi
| first national convention.