New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-08-17
Boil, Sides Fearing Result
Do Not Press for Imme-
diate Ballot, and 1t is Put
Off Again Until To-day
Only 6 Unpledged,
But Many Wabbly
Womcn's Foes May Try to
Postpone Decision Tn
til North Carolina Acts


NASHVILLE, Tenn, Aug. 16-The
House lodged vote on ratification to-
day. With only one member of the
entire ninety-ninc members absent,
leaders on both sides were too fearful
of the result to force the issue. SO
after passage Of local bills the House
adjourned until 1920 tomorrow morn
ing.
The truth is that all of the members
save six are pledged one way or the
other, some of them both wavs. Both
suffrage and anti leaders can count
on certain number of "bitter enders -
Suffraglsts claim forty eight and the
ants only thirty-three. 1t is the
others who block action If either
side had been certain of any of the
unpledged votes suffrage would now
be either ratified or defeated.
Late tonight the House committee
IN charge of the ratification resolution
voted to report the measure to-mor
row with recommendation that it he
adopted. The vote in committee was
ten to eight. The action is said 70
make a vote certain some time to-mor-
row. The Senate passed the amend
ment Friday.
Governor Cox tonight sent to Gov
ernor Roberts of Tennessee the follow
ing telegram:
Il earnestly hope that you will do
n
immediate ratification of the suffrage
amendment. 1t is the platform pledec
of our party and one which everv
Democratic legislator should be proud
10 support. Great forces for good.
represented by the womanhood Of the
nation, Will be Embossed with the final
adoption Of the Nineteenth Amend
ment and | again urge YOUR best
efforts to this behalf"
Before to-days sessions opened there
was a riot of rumors about one man
Hopping. another being brought in line,
on both sides. The ants met. For
half an hour afterward sutfrasists
were blue At their meeting the antis.
u ar the leadership of Speaker Seth
Walker, decided to try to get the House
to pass the issue to North Carolina
mat was after positive assurances
had been received from a North Caro-
lima legislator that the majority of the
House there would never permit ratif-
cation '-
Becomes Matter of Pride
So the ants started their round
&c bin. Members who signed agreed not
to vote, or to allow a vote. on ratifco.
ton, until North Carolina had acted
lhey claim thirtythree signatures to
the document, but talk Of twenty more
II they need them. This claim is met
by the suffragists with the announce
ment that even after the terrible pres
sure of Saturday and Sunday their
poll stands firm.
In fact, the question has now become
more than party or an ethical matter
with most Of the suffragists. 1t has
become matter of personal pride with
them not to allow the Speaker and his
cohorts to block the bill The tighten
Ing OF the anti organization and the
Application of unprecedented anti pres
sure, in most cases, merely resulted in
changing suffragists opinions into de-
! termlned convictions, for which they
will fight bitterly.
Lines have been so faulty drawn that
every measure, whether state or local
Is beginning to be Influenced by the
fight When word came early Monday
that several men of one importa mt
county had "Aopped,' suffragsts for
the House Immediately signed up q
petition not to allow any local bill Of
that delegation to pass until it's mem
bers kept their pledges. A majority
of the Senate, which has already passed
ratification, signed a similar round
robin.
Galleries Filled
Despite assurances that no vote
would come until tomorrow, the gal
leries filled with spectators long be
fore the House convened. AS members
came in the strain of tremendous
pressure pro and con applied to then
was evident. There was troubled
hunted look in many eyes, particularly
Of those classified as "wabbly" by
either side. The floor of the House was
CONTINUED on page threc)