Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-08-23
GOVERNOR ASSERTS
| SUFFRAGE ACTION
MUST Be NF0RCED.
Tennessee Chief Executive
Advised That Ratification
in State Is Legal.
MILL USE HIS EFFORTS
TO CARRY OUT THE LAW
Roberts Declares He Will
Countenance No Act to
Nullify Vote of Legislature.
bTANDs ON STATE PLATFORM
'ulflls Ills Conception OF Duties
as Governor I'm Suffrage
Fight.
MILL USE HIS EFFORTS
TO CARRY OUT THE LAW
FTANDs ON STATE PLATFORM
'ulfills His Conception OF Duties
as Governor I'm Suffrage
Fight.
IRy Associn,.arrc..


NASHVILLE. TENN. August ga
;Oyernor Roberts. In u formal state
nent tonight. declared he had been
nformcu by Attorney-Gcneral Frank
II. Thompson that the action OF the
NO houses OF the Legislature con-
titutes Il ratification OF the amend
rcnt and that he would countcnance
10 act iniendcd TO nuliify the ratih-
alton and the Will OF the majority
IS the minority either by flight and
Abandonment OF official duty upon
he part OF the members, or other
$Yise"
Il VIII exercise and bring to boar
Ill the legal and Legitimate powers Of
he ONCE OF Governor 10 consummat.
II an orderly and legal manner the
ratification OF the action Of the LeSis-
ature to the proper Federal officials"
ic declared.
The Governors statement was de-
otci almost entirely To u review of
10. suffrage situation. so far as Ten
icsscc was concerned. since the Leg
slaturc las; year granted partial
outrage TO women Of The State and
ictailcd his action with regard TO the
nineteenth amendment. Quoting the
suffrage planks included In the Dem
tjcratic national and State platforms.
ie declared he had stated clearly and
positively I'm mis- public addresses
Turing his campaign for renomina-
ION for Governor that he wac stand
ing on the state platform in its en-
lrcty.
II shall very much rcgrc; II any
conduct OF mine shall forfeit the good
viii OF amy of nay friends whose sup
. ,ort and good wishes have merited
tind received my appreciation" the
..tatement concluded. nut :nnst
Ihrst keep my word and fulnll my con-
}.eption OF my official duty TO merit
f;he true friendship and respect OF all
: 3ncn and this shall continue TO do"
Writ In Only liar Now.
The only thing now in the way OF
Fertilization OF ratification TO Wash
4ngton. according to suffrage leaders.
jwas the temporary writ OF injunction
ISSUED yesterday by fudge i.angford.
restraining the Governor the Secre-
harry of State and tho Speakers OF the
Senate and House from taking such
action on the plea that ratification
by this Legislature was illegal. The
|writ is rcturnable at any time with
lin FIVE days. upon which the parties
Ito the action agree. In some quar-
Tiers IL was believed IL hearing would
|he held tomorrow or Tuesday.
1 a message addressed last night to
1.-The Governors of Vermont, Connecti-
|cut. Florida. Alabama, Louisiana,
Delaware and South Carolina, declar-
ling Tennessee had not ratified the
amendment. was made public today
|by the Tennessee Constitutional
League, which is fighting ratification
by this Legislature on the ground
that the State Constitution inhibited
this Assembly from acting. The Con-
|stitutional League is an organization
|of attorneys pledged to uphold the
State Constitution. and according to
Judge Joseph Higgins. OF Nashville,
its president. includes in It's member
ship both suffragists and suffrage op-
ponents. The message follows:
Predict No Vote Soon.
Tennessee has not ratified ,hc
suffrage amendment. The resolution,
has not legally passed the House.
The motion to reconsider today was
defeated by less than the legal que
rum. The Governor and Other state
officials have been cnjoincd against
attempting to certify its ratification.
No woman will vote for year. apd
"a half at least. on account OF Ten
nessee's action today the injunction
will be carried TO the highest court.
Any state official who attempts ,o
certify will be attacked for contempt
of court. and Secretary Colby has
already been warned that action in
violation of the injunction is Invalid
under our laws.
Secretary Colby will also be en-
Joined by amended bill filed by Charlie 5
S. Fairchild and the American Con-
stitutional League at Washington.
3 There is no reason for any Siam
pede in other States on account OF
Tennessee's alleged action today, and
press reports assuming the ratifca-
ton was completed are entirely mis-
leading. Therefore, we earnestly ask
YOU TO make careful examination CT
ratification status before doing any
thing that might have a tendency to
complicatc the coming presidential,
election. the election OF Governors
congressman, Legislators. etc. in
many States"