New-York tribune., 1920-08-27
Secretary Of State Puts
Official U. S. Seal on
10Th Amendment, But
Avoids ALI Ceremony
Action Is Rebuke
To the Militants
President Receives Mrs.
Gait; Woman's Party
Leaders Are Ignored

WASHINGTON, Aug 26.-Bainbridge
Colby, Secretary of State, at o'clock
this morning, signed the proclamation
promulgating the Susan B. Anthony
woman suffrage resolution as the Nine
teenth Amendment to the Constitution
of the United States.
The Secretary signed the document
without ostentation at his own home.
Official notification from Nashville
that the Legislature of Tennessee had
state reached the State Department be-
fore dawn. The document was con-
veyed Immediately to Secretary Colby.
After it had been examined by Fred K.
Department, it was returned to Secre-
tary Colby, who, as soon as he had
finished breakfast, established Federal
woman suffrage as law.
Suffragists Are Disappointed
The lack of pomp and ceremony at
the occasion of the signing was dis
tinct disappointment to some of the
sun laSloIS LedueIS Oh tHc NdLlOlldl
Woman's party were waiting at the
arrived, hoping to be present to wit
ness the signing. They were met
with the announcement that the proc
amation had been signed two hours
before.
"The seal of the United States mas
been duly affixed to the certificate" !"
said the Secretary, "and the suffrage
amendment is now the Nineteenth
Amendment to the Constitution"
In an official statement explaining
his desire to make the action as simple
as possible Secretary Colby said:
at was decided not to accompany
this simple ministerial action on my
part with any ceremony or setting.
This secondary aspect of the subject
has regretfully been the source of
considerable contention as to who
shall participate in it and who shall
not. Inasmuch as l am not interest
ed in the aftermath of any of the
frictions or collisions which may
have been developed in the long
struggle for the ratification of the
amendment, | have contented myself
with the performance in the SIM
plest manner Of the duty devolved
upon me under the law
Method RebulIe to Militants
The signing of the proclamation by
Secretary Colby without the ceremony
hoped for by the members of the Ma
tional Woman's party, the militant
branch of the suffrage workers, was
interpreted here as a studied rebuke
to the militants for their picketing
tactics.
This opinion was strengthened later
i'll the day when President Wilson per-
sonally received Mrs. Carrie Chapman
Gait, president Of the National Ameri-
can Woman Suffrage Association, with
Mrs. Helen NJ. Gardner, of the Civil
Service Commission and vice-president
of the suffrage organization.
The two prominent suffrage workers
ceivcd by the President since his ILL
presented to the President bound
volume containing expressions of ap-
proval from state suffrage organiza-
tions of his suffrage address to Con-
gress made before he departed for the
peace conference.
The President received the suf-
fragists in the Blue Room of the
executive mansion. Mrs. Wilson was
present. In the opinion of each Mr..
Wilson "lOOked extremely we'll. lie
thanked them for the volume presented.
Miss Alice Paul, chairman Of the
National Woman's party, with other
militants, had been on watch virtually
the entire night for the arrival OF the
certificate from Tennessee.
When the announcement was made
that the document had been signed at
the Colby residence the visitors were
noticeably crestfallen. Disappointed,
the women retired to their head
quarters.
Proclamation Read to Suffragists
Later Mrs. Gait, accompanied by
other national officers of the organiza-
ton, visited the State Department.
They were informed that Secretary
Colby had prepared a statement in
regard to the proclamation and that
he was prepared to receive them and
read the proclamation to them. I'M
CONTINUED page thrce)