Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1920-08-19
TENNESSEE IS The
THIRTY-SIXTH STATE
VOTE ON WOMAN SUFFRAGE
AMENDMENT CARRIES BY
SMALL MARGIN

Ratification of the federal suffrage
amendment was completed yester-
! day at Nashville, Tenn, with favor
able action of the Tennessee house.
The vote in the house was 40 to
At. The senate ratified the amend
ment last Friday by vote of 25 to
4.
Speaker Walker in an attempt to
| have the action reconsidered, chang
ed his vote to aye and moved that
such action be taken. Walkers
change of his vote gave ratification
majority of so to as.
Mr.. Walker is privileged to call up
the resolution for reconsideration at
any time within the next two days.
legislature was the elimination of
an intensive drive made by suffrage
proponents to have the amendment
made effective in time for the wom-
en- of the country to vote in the pres
idential election in November. The
drive was started when West Vir-
ginia became the thirty-fourth
state to ratify early this year.
Washington was the thirty-fifth
to ratify and on the same day it act
ed-March 22nd-Governor Town
send of Delaware called a special
session of the legislature of that
state TO act on the amendment. The
Delaware assembly met early in May
and the senate quickly ratified, but
action by the house delayed despite
pressure brought to bear by the
leaders of both great political par
ties and by President Wilson. Fin
ally, on June End, the legislature ad-
journed with the ratification resolu-
ton, still in the house committee of
the, whole.
Meantime the Louisiana legisla-
ture met and efforts were made to
have it act favorably. President
Wilson appealed to Gov. Parker to
recommend ratification, but the gov
ernor declined to do so. The rati-
ficatfon resolution was taken up late
in May and was debated at intervals
Through the month of June and into
July. Gov. Cox the democratic
presidential nominee, threw his in
| fiuence on the side of the amend
ment, declaring that the democrats
of the legislature owed it to their
party to ratify the amendment.
The legislature finally adjourned
on July Sth, however, without act
/ ing.
While the Louisiana legislature
was considering the question appeals
for planks favorable to suffrage
were made to both the republican
and democratic conventions and the
republican convention was picketed
by representatives of the woman's
party. Suffrage planks were in
serted in both platforms.
The constitutional change will be-
| come effective in time for the H.
| 100000 women of the country to
vote in the presidential election in
November, unless the lower house OF
the Tennessee assembly, rescinds its
action of yesterday in adopting the
ratification resolution, 40 to AZ.
Speaker Walker, leader of the an
ti-suffragists, put opponents in a po-
sition to demand reconsideration by
changing his vote from nay to aye
and moving to reconsider. The
house adjourned until 10 o'clock to-
day when the speakers motion will
have the right of way. Suffrage
and anti-suffrage forces frightened
their lines for the final fight and
both sides were claiming victory.
The suffragists, however, had the
advantage of yesterdays victory
and expressed confidence that
Speaker Walkers motion would be
voted down today. The next step
then would be the certifying of the
action of the secretary of state of the
United States, who would issue a
proclamation declaring the amend
ment ratified.
The Tennessee senate ratified the
amendment last Friday by vote of
rs to 4.
Suffrage leaders declare they will
not slacken their efforts as they de-
sire to have at least one other state
ratify before the November cleo
tions as they expect a fight to be
made against Tennessee's action be-
cuse of the clause in the state con-
stitujon which prohibits any assem-
bly, from acting on an amendment
not submitted before the members
are elected. Both United States
Solicitor General Frierson and the
attorney general Of Tennessee have
declared this clause to be unconsti-
tutional in the light Of the recent de-
cision of the supreme court in the
Ohio referendum case.
Mrs. Jerome Sturm, of Cincinnati.
anti-suffragist leader announced last
night that suit would be filed to
test the validity of the ratification OF
the suffrage amendment by the
Tennessee legislature. She said
that the suit, already prepared, was
in the hands of Nashville lawyers.