Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-08-14
SUFFRAGE LEADERS
ASKING PLEDGES|N
TENNESSEE HOUSE
Opponents Also Busy After
Victory in Senate-Expect
Vote at Raleigh.
Ey the Associated Press.

NASHVILLE. Tenn. August IA
Encouraged by the action of the Ten
nessee senate in adopting resolution
providing for ratification of the fed
eral suffrage amendment suffragist SITS
today turned their attention to the
house. where. they admitted. they ex-
pected to face more determined OPP
position.
Neither house was in session today.
both the senate and house having re-
cessed until Monday. Suffrage advo-
Gates and opponents. however, were
busy attempting to secure eleventh.
hour pledges of support from mem
bers of the house who remained in
Nashville over the week end.
The house will reconvene Monday
afternoon at o'clock. House leaders
considered a vote on suffrage Monday
afternoon improbable. The commit
tee to which the joint ratification res
olution was referred is expected to
meet Monday night to consider it, and
it was said today that no effort would
be made to bring the suffrage ques-
tion up on the house floor before the
committee has an opportunity to re-
port.
Committee Refuses Comment.
Members of the committee refused
to comment on the probable tenor OF
the report. Rumors were prevalent
today. however. that an attempt
might be made to bury the resolution
in committee. If this is done an eff
fort will be made, suffrage advocates
said. to call the resolution up on the
floor of the house for a vote.
The vote in the senate yesterday Of
twenty-five to four in favor of ratifl-
cation has increased the confidence of
yicfc IF fhaY M M
expected so lop-Sided a victory. The
concensus of opinion among both adj
vocateS and opponents of suffrage to-
day was that the result in the house
probably would hinge on a very few
votes.
Mrs. Gait Issues Denial.
Replying to the charge made during
debate yesterday by Senator Chandler.
republican. and suffrage opponents
that She had advocated intermariage
between whites and negroes, Mrs. Car
RE Chapman Gait, president of the
National Woman Suffrage Association,
last night in formal statement char
acterized it as IAN absolute fabrica-
ton
Senator Chandler said his remark
was based on a published interview
with Mrs. Gait, in which she was
quoted as having said suffrage knows
no bias or race. color or sex"
Expect Vote mt Raleigh.
RALEIGH. N. c., August 14.-Lead-
ers in the North Carolina legislature
were of the opinion today that neither
before Tuesday on ratification of the
federal suffrage amendment.
1t was predicted that action would
be taken first in the senate. probably
Tuesday, and that if the ratification
resolution. introduced yesterday. were
h.
sidered by the house. where. it was
expected, bitter. close battle would
occur.
Suffrage advocates. encouraged by
Gov. Bicketts message urging rati-
fication and the favorable report by
a senate committee of the ratification
resolution, were confident today of
success in the senate. Some of them
were a bit dubious about the house.
Sixty-three of the 100 members of the
house signed the telegram sent to
the Tennessee legislature urging 1t
to defeat the suffrage resolution.
Resolutions In Both Houses.
Anti-suffragists said they felt GER
tain all those who signed the tele-
gram would vote against ratification.
thus assuring defeat of the resolu-
ton. Suffrage opponents also claimed
they would be able to break into the
suffrage strength in the senate, and
predictions were made that the suf-
frage resolution never would reach
the house g.
Ratification resolutions were intro
duced yesterday in both houses. SEN
ator Scales, democrat, called on the
senate to raufy, while the house
resolution was introduced by Repre-
sentative Williams. republican leader
The house resolution was still in COM
uittee today. and leaders Of the OPP
position said it probably would be
left there. The house, they predicted,
will await action in the senate, and
if it is favorable will act on the SEN
ate resolution instead of its own.
Suffragists declared today that an
effort was being made to delay ac-
ton here With view of waiting to
see what action is taken on suffrage
by the Tennessee legislature.