Milford chronicle., 1920-09-03
UNCLE TED'S
BEDTIME STORIES
SUFFRAGE VICTORY
WON BY REPUBLICANS

WON D1 hEE ObLiNANS
"Irncle Ted" said Jack as they left
the dinner table. mother says she
will be able to vote for Warren G..
Harding for President just like Daddy
and she said that you might tell us a
story about how it happens she can
vote.
..Yes. jack" replied his Uncle. lit
looks as though the women Of the
United States would be able to vote
this year unless those opposed to it in
Tennessee. the State to ratify, should
succeed in winning a suit in court
These people claim that the Tennessee
House of Representatives was not
constitutiOnally organized when they
voted on the suffrage question. But
chat is a detail The act remains
that Tennessee was the last State to
ratify, that is, it was the thirty-sixth
one to vote in favor of giving the
women of the county the same rights
MS the men. In order to give the wOm-
en- this right of suffrage. as it is call
ed. the Constitution of the United
States had to be amended and in or
der to amend the Constitution the
amendment had to be passed by the
Congress Of the United States and rat
flied by thirty-six of the fOrty-eight
States.
IN the first place, let me tell you
that it was a Republican Congress
that took the first essential action. In
1918. when both Houses of Congress
we're Democratic. the resolution to
submit the equal suffrage amendment
was defeated. In 1919, when both
Houses were Republican, the resolu-
ton was adopted BY far the greater
part of the support for the resolution
came from Republicans and the great
er part of the opposition came from
Democrats. The Democrats are silent
about that part of the proceedings, [
and center all their claims on the fact
that the last State to ratify was
Democratic.
Tennessee is located in what is
known in politics as the Solid South.
nearly always votes Demo- /
cratic and everyone admits that it is |
a Democratic State After thirty
five States had ratified the amend
ment and only one State was needed.
the Democrats made every effort to
have the thirty-sixth State Democrat
ic After the ratification by Tennes-
see the Democratic leaders came out
With STATEMENTS and claims that be-
cause the final State necessary to ratify
he amendment was Democratic their
party should receive all the credit.
But how about the ether States?"
lsked Jack.
Il was just coming to that. The
irst State to ratify was Wisconsin,
This was a Republican victory and
he vote was cast on June 10, 1919.
)ut of the thirty-siX State legislatures
which ratified the amendment twenty
tx were Republican, and in only seven
we're the Democrats had entire con-
rol of both houses of legislature was
he suffrage amendment ratified. In
hree others, one half of the legis-
ure was controlled by Republicans
nd the other by Democrats. Repub-
leans supplied twenty-siX and Demo-
rats only seven of the ratifying
tates.
up to this time nine States have
either - 7aae.laAs ) 90 mother, ,
0 ratify the amendmvnC. Out OF tise=e
line. eight are Democratic States. In
act, Tennessee and Arkansas are the
nlv States located in the Solid
,outh' to agree to ratification.
You said that eight Democratic
,tates refused to agree to suffrage"
aid Jack. How many Republican
tates refused?
"OnIy one Republican State legisla-
IRE that of Delaware, refused to
TUad "a
ared with the eight Democratic
tates. These Democratic States are
.labama Georgia, Missippi. South
jarolina, Virginia, Maryland. North
'arolina and Louisiana"
How many women viii be able to
ote this year?" asked Ruth.
about 26,S00. 600 women will have
he privilege to going to the ballot box
II November 2nd, just the same as the
zen The Republican party welcomes
his addition of voters with all cOnii-
ence We are certainly not going to
g worried by the noise which the
Democrats are making in trying to
axe the credit for the suffrage victory
n addition to the fact that the ma
)ritv of the States which ratified the
mirage amendment were Republican,
on should know that those who work
4 hardest in the Congress of the
-nited States for the success of suf-
rage were Republicans. 1 do not say
his because | am a Republican, but
ecause it is a fact and can be proven
V anyone who cares to go TO the trou-
lie of looking into the records OF the
nited States Senate and House OF
THAT is about all the e is TO une
mirage story. Any voter vito wants to
now the truth about the suffrage
uestion will find that there is no
nestion the victory is due chiefly to
le efforts of the Republicans OF the
luntY.