Putnam County herald. (Cookeville, Tenn.) 1903-1922, 1920-08-26
A SERIOUS SITUATION

| due to one man, Gov. Roberts. Ht
alone could call an extra session ant
force this disturbing condition upoI
the people. 1t is our purpose here te
set out the facts only, reserying oul
comment to la'er issues Of the Her
aid.
The constitution Of Tennessee ex
pressly forbids the legislature acting
upon an amendment to the constitu
ton of the United States unless the
members of the general assembly
were elected after congress submit
ted the amendment to the various
states for ratification. The present
legislature was elected fp November
1918, and the amendment was sub.
mitted in June, 1919. :, The federal
constitution is silent as TO when the
state legislatures shall act upon an
amendment, In fact 1t is optional
with the states, and need never be
acted upon. ,l.-,- .
A joint resolution of ratification
was introduced in both houses soon
after meeting in the extra session.
and passed the senate with four vot-
ing no..
In the house the struggle was ter
rifle and the result in doubt. Finally
a motion was made to table the reso-
luton, which was lost by tie vote
Of .48 to 48. Then a vote was taken
upon the adoption of the resolution.
40 voting for and Al against the
measure. Speaker Seth Walker then
changed his vote to aye and entered
a motion to reconsider. This left
matters, in hands exclusively for
two days outside the day on which
the motion was made. Before the two
days expired a quorum in the house
was broken by SO members leaving
the state and going to Decatur, Ala.
where they will stay until the ses-
sion ends by constitutional limita-
ton.
No business other than that of ad-
journing from day to day can be done
without quorum being present,
Therefore, the joint resolution could
not be signed by the speaker Of the
house, as it must lbe done in open
session. Notwithstanding the abb
consider was voted down, in an effort
sence of quorum, motion to re-
to get the record straingntened out.
This condition having arisen it
was suspected that Gov Roberts
would resort to unusual means in an
attempt to force woman suffrage up
on the state and nation. Judge Lang
ford of Nashville enjoined the COVER
nor and other officials from doing
anything in the controversy This
injunction had not been argued
when Judge D. l.. Lsnsden of the su-
preme court issued an order setting
the injunction aside. This action
was had at night and without any
notice to Judge Langford or the at
torneys representing the injunction,
a proceeding probably without pre-
cedent. -,
Gov. Roberts later in the night GER
titled to the United States Secretary
Of State Colby that the ratification
had been adopted by the
Tennessee legislature, and forwarded
his certificate by registered mail.
Mr.. Colby received the document in
the night, got out of bed and signed
an order promulgating the adoption
Of the amendment to the Constitu-
lion Of the United States.
Speaker Walker elegraphed to Mr..
Colby statement that the rakifica-
lion amendment had not passed, but
no attention was paid to his state
nent.
The contest brought to Tennessee
many professional lobbyists, some |
" them backed by plenty of money,
( the statement made by Alice Paul
# Washington, chairman OF tn eWo-
mans National Party is true. She is
luoted in press dispatches as saying
hat she had Mt $4,000 to Nash
lille to help the suffragists win.
And after the vote was taken two
members of the house hired special
rains to take them home-one a
lemocrat from West Tennessee and
he other Republican from East
AS a result of Gov. Roberts action
litigation will be carried to the su-
'reme court OF the United States,
md the result may invalidate the
lection OF q president and all other
ffices to be filled by the November
lection.
It Is claimed that Tennessee was
be seth state to ratify ands that her
ction made the necessary three
ourths Of the states. However, the
ction Of three other states, Missou-
|, West Virginia and ont other, is
lready being contested in the courts
nd now Tennessee is in the same
X
The 18th amendment is now in
feet and women are men insofar
8 law can make thief such unless
he highest court in the land de-
ices otherwise.
CookEvlLIE, ROUTE 2
Nora Steakley visited her grand
Mother, and aunt, Mrs. Wesley Rob