The Covington leader. (Covington, Tenn.) 18??-current, 1920-08-26
MANY OBSTACLES
TO Be OVERCOME
WOMAN SUFFRAGE PRESENTS
MANY PROBLEMS
The Right to Fix Qualifications Only
a Slight Difficulty-SOme Insist
That Same Rules Apply to Women
As Men YOters-Southern States
Present Interesting Phase Of the
Question.

Present interesting Fhdse VI uiS
Question.
Assuming the ratification Of the
suffrage amendment by Tennessee
or other States, there are some legal
obstacles that must be overcome be-
fore women everywhere will be per-
mitted to vote in the presidential
elections this year. states dispatch
from Washington.
While women leaders do not antiei-
pate much difficulty and believe that
the public official who dares to pre-
vent women from voting this time is
merely committing political suicide,
nevertheless it is possible for relue-
tant State officials with grudge
against woman suffrage to manipu-
late matters in such a way as TO pre-
vent the qualification Of women vot-
ers this year.
The 10th amendment to the con-
stitution merely declares that women
shall have the right to vote, but an
other article in the constitution gives
to the States the full right to de-
termine qualifications of voters. An
ticipating just such trouble, the
national woman's party made a can
vass Of all States where it seemed as
If special legislation were necessary
to enable women TO vote this year II
the federal amendment were ratified.
Minnesota, North Dakota, Missouri,
Massachusetts, Virginia and Maine
passed such legislation at the same
time that their legislatures were IN
special session to ratify the federal
amendment. Georgia. Rhode Island
and West Virginia have not done SO,
though in two instances the day for
registering voters has already passed.
Florida. Vermont and Connecticut
have had no sessions Of their respec-
tive legislatures, so nothing could be
done in the way of enabling legisla-
fion. On the other hand, it is fully
expected that the governors OF the
last three States now will call SPECIAL
sessions to permit women to quality
as voters. Nv. ;.
The question has been a difficult
me to determine, for in most cases
when the national woman's party has
appealed to the attorney general OF
the several States for a ruling, these
officials have been reluctant to say
what their opinion would be. Usually
thew did not want to interfere IN the
suffrage controversy because of the
division Of sentiment among party
leaders. Now, however. the question
is no longer hvDothetical and the at
tnrnevs general will be forced to rem
der final Judgment. If It is adj
verse, all the pressure which the
women can exert will be applied to
obtain special sessions of the legis-
latnres even in midsummer, in order
70 hermit the enrolment Of women
voters.
The sleaders have in each case
been asking for simple piece OF
legislation to the effect that the
same rules shall apply to the new
women voters as cover the male
voters who reach the age Of Il.
Usually evidence of residence IN the
State and citizenship is all that is
required
The Southern States present an
interesting phase Of the question. for
while very little is said about it at
suffrage headquarters here. no one
believes the Southern States will per-
NIT negro women to vote anv more
than they do men. The usual OBJ
stacles. such as the payment Of poll
tax and educational qualifications
are expected to be used.
In fact, the suffrage workers used
to tell the Southern legislators that
their fears Of woman suffrage were
bound to prove groundless because Of
this very power to determine the
qualifications of voters which lies in
the hands Of the several States.
Although Tennessee's verdict has
remained in doubt for several days
and the women leaders had exhibited
considerable nervousness about the
prospects Of reconsideration by the
Tennessee legislature of her vote,
all hope was by no means considered
zone If the ratification by Tennessee.
did not materialize, Florida was Sc
lected as the next battle ground. In
the State special session OF the
legislature has been expected. More
over, majority of the members Of
the State legislature signed a petition
urging the two United States sena-
tors from that State to vote for suf-
frage when the federal amendment
was last voted nnon.