Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-08-09
SUFFRAGE BATTLE
WILL. START TODAY
Tennessee Legislature Meets in
Special Session at Noon; Hard
Fight Expected.

Washington. Aug 0 Pro-slTrage lead
ers At Nashville have received pledges
from enough legislators u a sure a ma-
jofty IN both the Senate and House 0f the
Tennessee Legislature, according to
telegram g. the headquarters here Of the
National Woman party
Nashville. Tenn Aug. 0.-Tho Ten
nessee Legislature meets IN extfao rdinarY
session today at noon 70 consider ratifica-
ton uf the Federal woman suffrage amend
ment
With thirty-five States already having
acted favnrablv and with ratification by
over one more State necessary for Wou-
nn suffrage 10 become effective through
out tho nation suffrage and anti-sIlf-
frege workers from all parts Of the coup-
try were here tonight prepared for what
Is considered os probably the most lrn-
portant contest general assembly has
faced since Congress submitted ssd-
fringe ratification 70 the States.
Yesterdays preliminary activities were
marked by m address hy Pariey +.
Christensen, Presidential nominee of the
Tarmer-Lahor party. who spoke IN favor
Of ratification nj a meeting of the Trades
and Labor Council Numerous con-
ferenccs Of members Of the Assembly
and opponents and proponents 0f slf-
frago and legislators also we're held,
the workers seeking pledges Of support.
Leaders of both factions were claim
ing victory but IN many quarters there
WIS disposition to regard the outcome
as uncertain at this time. Suffrage seaders
pointed out that the Legislature IN regalur
| session last year granted Presidential
| and municipal suffrage to the women Of
| the State The vote III favor Of this legis-
| lation was a bare constitutional majority
| IN the Senate and a majority of five IN
| the House II OF the 33 members Of the
Senate and - of the % members Of the
| House voting IN the affirmative. Three
| members of the Senate and ten members
! of the House were elected last week to
! fill vacancies and the Suffraglsts declared
| that of the thirteen they had eleven pledg-
| ed, or enough 10 offset any losses It several
OF those who voted iavorably on the
| State suffrage issue should oppose rati-
! fcation by Federal action.
Opponents of Woman Suffrage in any
| form and those who oppose suffrage by
Federal legislation but favor it by Stat
| action, have combined forces and were
confident that there were enough mem
! bers of similar views IN each house to
defeat ratification
Mrs Carrie Chapman Gait, president
of the national American Woman Suf-
| frage Association, is directing the cam
paign of the suffragists, and for the tirst
time, it is said, she has established head
quarters on the battlefield Former Cover
nor Rye of Tennessee is expected here to-
morrow to take leading part in the fight
as chairman of the Mems Ratification
Committee of Tennessee. Other prominent
suffrage leaders here include Mrs. Harriet
Taylor Upton of Ohio, Vice Chairman of
the National Republican Executive Com
mittee, and Mrs. florence Bayard Hilles
of Wilmington, Del, who was conspicuous
in the suffrage contest IN the Delaware
Legislature.
Dayton Aug. 9-Governor Cox ex-
pressed the belief yesterday that the Ten
nessee Legislature would ratify woman
suffrage, after all, when it got together
tomorrow He had received reports from
Mrs. Abby Scott Baker, field manager
for the National Woman's Party, that
a majority of the lower house and one
mere than majority of the Senators