Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-08-19
Will Attack Ratification i'm
State Court if Other
Steps Fail.
FIRST HOPE TO GET
RECONSIDERATION
Technical Grounds Beins Souaht
Whereby Act of Legislature Can
Be Attacked as Unconstitutional
Claim State Constitution Has Been
Violated and That Present Leqis-
iature Was lntimidated.
By Associated Press.

Nashville, Tenn. Aug. 1s.-One
vote cast In the Tennessee house
In favor of ratifying the federal
suffrage amendment today stood in
the way of certification to the secre-
tary Of state that Tennessee as the
necessary thirty sixth state had com
pleted ratification Of the amendment
In time for women of the country to
vote at the November elections.
After voting against ratification
yesterday, Speaker Walker changed
MS vote from nay to aye, for the
purpose anti-suffragist said, of
moving a reconsideration of the vote,
either today or tomorrow. Two DAYS
are allowed-i which to attempt re-
consideration.
The house vote on the ratification
resolution was 40 to At, but was
changed to so to 46 when Speaker
Walker switched his vote to aye.
The senate Friday adopted the reso-
luton by vote Of 25 to 4.
Suffrasists Not Mapping.
Suffragists plan today to move
consideration Of yesterdays vote at
time when their entire strength
in on the floor. They figured that
they could thus dispose of the re-
consideration Of the members pres-
ent,
Opponents OF ratification declared
today that If efforts to secure a re-
consideration of the house vote falls,
steps would be taken to have the
court declare the ratification of the
suffrage amendment by the Tennes-
see legislature unconstitutional on
the grounds that the amendment
was submitted before its mem
bers had been elected. A Sec
ton OF the state constitution
provides that a federal amendment
can be ratified by the legislature only
in case it's members were elected
after the amendment had been sub
mitted to the state for ratification.
suffragists contended that the SUI
preme courts decision in the Ohio
referendum case nul1nfles this section
Of the Tennessee constitution.
Anti's AIlege Bribery.
Judge Debow charged the grand
jury In the Davidson county criminal
court today on the subject of efforts
to improperly influence or corrupt
the lawmaking power Of the state
and laid special emphasis on the
fight for ratification Of the federal
suffrage amendment by the Tennes-
see legislature.
Announcement that opponents of
womens suffrage would hold a mass
meeting tonight to discuss steps to
save the south from the Susan B.
Anthony amendment and federal suf-
frage force bills" was taken as an
indication that Speaker Walker would
not attempt today to force reconsid-
Grafton Of the action Of the Tennes-
see house yesterday in ratifying the
nipeteenth amendment
Senator Oscar Underwood, Of Ala
bama, and former Governor Pleasant,
of Louisiana, have been invited to
address the massmeeting.
Judge Debow's charge followed
publication by the Nashville Tennes-
seean and the Nashville Banner OF
two affidavits in which \ allegations
were made that undue influence had
been brought to bear on one member
Of the house who first voted to table
the ratification resolution and later
voted for the adoption OF the resolu-
ton. A single vote decided the issue
in favor Of suffrage.
The Tennessee house adjourned at
noon until 10 o'clock tomorrow, with
out any effort being made to have
It reconsider it's action of yesterday
in ratifying the federal suffrage
amendment,