Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-08-18
VICTORY FOR WOMEN RESULT =
OF A LONG UPHILL BATTLE
First Demand for Voice In Government
Sounded During Revolution-Deter-
mined Fight Waged Ever Since.

the amendment WAS first introduced
and one year from the day of the
first picket line at the White House.
At this time the measure lacked
nine votes in the Senate. on June -
it was called up in that body, but
flibuster prevented a vote. For
year it was blocked by lack of two
votes. part of that time by the lack
of only one.
Demonstrations Kept Up.
Continual demonstrations were kept
w in Washington by the womans
party. Finally. with the new Con-,
gress. additional votes were supplied
by the republicans and the final vote
given by the democrats. and on June
4. 1919, the anne ndment passed the
Senate with two votes to spare. 1t
had been repaSSed in the House by
large majority on May 81.
Then came the campaign for ratifi-
cation in thirty-siX states.
In spite of opposition the amend
ment was ratified at twentynine spe-
cial sessions. In twelve states. Michi-
gan. Kansas. New York. Nebraska,
Utah, South Dakota. Colorado, Oregon.
Wyoming. Nevada, Arizona and
| Washington. the vote was unanimous
| in both houses, and in seven states. IL
| linois, Texas. Iowa. Montana, Cali
| fornia, Indiana and Idaho, 1t was
unanimous in one house.
In the first month after the pas
| sage of the amendment nine states
| ratified The honor of first place was
contended for by three states, which
! ratified within "A few hours of each
other on June 10, Wisconsin, Illinois
and Michigan. Because of technical
error Illinois. ratification was not
certified until June II.
In Kansas, the first full suffrage
state to act. the members of the legis-
lature paid their own expenses and
yrithnrf New York
! the second state to meet especially
for ratification. California; ratltlca-
| ton on November /. after SIX
! month campaign upon the governor
| for special session, established the
| halfway mark.
| The remaining necessary eighteen
! notifications have been secured since
| January l. 1920. Regular sessions in
| Rhode Island. Kentucky and New Jer
sey passed the resolution. In Oregon
a special session was secured after
! long and concentrated effort, but the
ivote was unanimous.
Subterfuge Is Thwarted.
| Only the intervention of political
| leaders in Washington, urged on by
suffra gists. thwarted an attempt in
New Mexico to prevent ratification by
| substituting a referendum resolution.
| Sessions in Nevada. Wyoming. Idaho
| and Arizona were brought about by ma
| tional pressure through persistent work
by suffrage leaders IN washington. In
| West Virginia the amendment was saved
by the vote of a Senator who rushed
| from California by special train in rec
ord time. Washington ratified on March
| %, the thirty-fifth state.
| With the defeat in Delaware there
were but five states left which had not
acted on the acknowledgements
| Vermont. North Carolina, Florida and
| Tennessee, the first two republican and
| the last three democratic.
| Friendly legislatures in Connecu-
lieut. and Vermont were prevented
from acting by the persistent re-
fusal of the governors to call them
| into session. The Governor of Flor
] ida also refused to call a special ses
sion. though friendly to suffrage him
/ self. on the ground that the legisla
ture would not ratify. Special SEES
sions were called for August in
| Tennessee and for August 10 in North
Carolina.
| The campaign of the woman's party
Twas centered in Tennessee, a pres-
Dental suffrage state and therefore
! the most hopeful of the possibilities.
Both party conventions were forced
Ito devote a good share of attention
| to the suffroge question, end the re-
sponsbiluy of the presidential nomi-
nees, Senator Harding and Gov. Cox,
| to see that the members of their
parties in the Tennessee legislature
lived up to the suffrage planks in the
party platforms has been constantly
Jempha sized.