Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1920-06-30
Democrats Make Suffrage
Move.

Democratic national committee today
unanimously agreed to send tele-
gram to the governor of Tennessee
urging special session of the legis-
lature to ratify the federal suffrage
amendment.
The committee met late today to
make up the temporary roll of dele
gates, to consider contests and to dis
pose Of other business preliminary to
the opening of the convention next
Monday. H. S. Cummings, chairman.
Probably the largest number of wo-
men that ever attended meeting OF
the committee was present. Among
the arrivals was Senator James S.
Reed, who claimed a seat in the con-
vention as delegate for the Fifth
Missouri district. Representatives of
the two large groups of delegates con
testing for Georgia's % seats were
also on hand.
There was vigorous applause when
Chairman Cummings suggested the
sending of a telegram to Governor
Roberts of Tennessee, urging him to.
call special session of the legisla-
ture to ratify the federal suffrage
amendment.
Without Onnosinp Vote
The suggestion was unanimous
ly adopted.
Following is the telegram sent to
the governor of Tennessee:
.sThe Democratic national COM
mittee at it's meeting held today by
unanimous vote directed me, as chair
man of the committee to send you
the following message:
eve most earnestly emphasize the
extreme Importance and urgency of
an immediate meeting of your state
legislature for the purpose of ratify-
ing the proposed 18th amendment
to the federal constitution. The eyes
of the millions of women throughout
the country are turned toward Ten
nessee as the one state that can and
will enfranchise them. prior to the
November election by becoming the
seth state to ratify the suffrage
amendment.
"'We trust that for the present all
other legislative matters may, if nee
essary, be held in allegiance and that
YOU will call an extra session of the
legislature of your state for such
brief duration as may be required to
act favorably on the amendment.
Tennessee occupies position of pc
culiar and pivotal importance and
one that enables her to render ser
vice. of -incalculable value to the wo-
men of America. We confidently ex-
pect, therefore under your leadership
and through your action of the leg
islature of your state the women of
the nation may be given the privilege
of voting in the coming presidential
election
" Homer S. Cummings, Chairman
National Committee"
Nashville, Tenn, June 25.-Gov.
A. H. Roberts, on reaching Jackson,
Tenn, where he speaks this after
noon, sent telegram to President
Wilson, stating that he intended to
include ratification of the 18TH
amendment inhis call for an extra
session of the legislature, provided
the state of legal department advised
him that ratification could now be
made.
When the governors telegram was
sent he had not heard that Attorney
General Thompson had sent him an
opinion here advising that the pres
ent legislature could ratify the
amendment.
Raleigh, N. c., June 25.-Declar-
ing that President Wilson's telegram
calling attention to the Importance
of the North Carolina action on the
federal suffrage amendment requlr-
ed no answer, Governor Beckett to-
day stated that he had nothing to add
to the statement he has already made
relative to his views toward suffrage
Those views were expressed in a
letter to w. N. Everett of Rocking
ham, N. c., suffrage leader in the
1919 legislature, who asked the gov
ernor to champion the cause OF wo-