Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-08-17
Action of Lower House May
Make That State 36th for
Amendment.
SECOND "WAR OF ROSES"
FOUGHT IN LEGISLATURE
Floor Is Cleared of Spectators as
Final Struggle Is Begun Be-
fore Crowded Galleries.
BY the Associated Press.

by the Associated Press.
NASHVILLE, August 17.-Standing
room in the Tennessee house of rep
resentatives was at a premium when
the house met this morning to act on
ratification of the federal suffrage
amendment
to order the galleries were packed
and spectators fairly fought to obtain
points of vantage.
Corridors of the capitol were crowd
ed with those who arrived too late
to squirm their way into the cham
Der. but they remained in the hope
that those near the entrance would
repeat to those less fortunate what
was taking place inside.
The thousands of yellow and GRIM
son roses worn by the suffragists and
their antagonists and flowers of sim
liar hue displayed throughout the
chamber and on the desks of the men,
bers put touch of color to the scene
1t was second war of the roses"
as one suffragist expressed it.
Vote to Clear Floor.
A motion that all spectators be in
vited to leave the floor of the house
was made Immediately after the roll
call 1t would permit only members
OF the senate to remain.
The speaker ruled the motion out
| OF order as house rule provided this.
The suffragists failed to poll a two
thirds vote on motion to suspend the
| rules and Speaker Walker ordered
the sergeant-at-arms to clear the
| floor. The vote was 81 to As.
A motion that the house concur in
the action of the senate in adopting
| the ratification resolution was offered
Immediately after the favorable re-
mort of tho copnmiffoo On copofif,,-
tional conventions and amendments,
| urging such action, and debate began
! at once.
Chairman Riddick of the committee,
leader of the suffrage forces. was the
| first speaker.
/ Before Session Opened.
Hotel lobbies until after midnight
were alive with workers who sought
to keep their lines intact or gain ac-
cessions from the ranks of the enemy.
Action of the house committee in
charge of the resolution in voting ten
to eight last night to recommend
| ratification was regarded by the ants
as of little consequence, since Seth
Walker, speaker of the house and
| leader of the opposition, said mi
! nority report urging rejection also
would be offered and the issue would
be fought out on the floor.
| Suffrage leaders regarded the result
of the fight in Tennessee AS of su-
preme Importance, for refusal of this
ed. would leave North Carolina the
| last hope for favorable action in time
to permit women of the entire naUbn
to vote in the November elections.
Action by Florida was said to be out
| of the question, and the governors of
| Vermont and Connecticut have re-
fused to convene the legislature of
those states in extraordinary session
to consider ratification.
Seth Walker. speaker, of the house,
leader of the anti-usffrage forces and
a member Of the committee, said the
first ballot on reporting the resolu-
ton favorably stood to 8, as he re-
Trained from voting. and that to re-
his vote and cast his ballot with the
suffragists.
Telegram From Cox.
Gov. Roberts late last night made
public telegram received earlier in
the evening from Gov. Cox, the demo-
cratic presidential nominee, urging
that Gov. Roberts use his best efforts
in behalf of ratification.
II earnestly hope that you will do
everything in your power to aid in t..
immediate ratification of the suffrage
amendment" the nominee telegraph
ed. 1T is the platform pledge of our
narty and one which every democratic
Legislator SnOulu NC plouu " SuppoAs -
'fGreat forces for good, represented
nv the womanhood of the nation, will
be unloosed with the final adoption of
the nineteenth amendment, and 1
again urge your best efforts to this
behalf"
Suffrage advocates, although they
admitted that five of the seven repre-
sentatives from Davidson county.
(Nashville), considered pledged to
suffrage, had gone over to the opposi-
tion. declared they were still conf
dent of success. Fifty votes is the
constitutional majority necessary for
ratification. Basing their claims onf
nolIs. suffragists have contended that
f;fty-three to sixty representatives
Ha,,,d yote for ratification