New-York tribune., 1920-08-19
Unexpected Votes of Two
Men Swung to Resolu-
ton at Critical Stage
Saved Cause of Women
Amendment FOUGHT
BY PowerfuILob
Leaders Confident Effort
to Reconsider Will Be
Futile; Colby Is Ready
to Issue Proclamation
Special Dispatch TO The Tribune

Special Dispatch TO The Tribune
NASHVILLE, Tenn, Aug. 49,
The Tennessee House of Representa-
tives to-day ratified the Susan B.
Anthony amendment to the Federaf
Constitution giving the suffrage to
women. Unless a motion to recon-
slider, which comes up tomorrow at
1880 o'clock, is successful ratif-
cation will have been completed by
the thirty-siX states necessary to
make it effective.
The vote by which the resolution
was adopted was 40 to AZ. Speaker
Seth Walker, opponent of suffrage,
changed his vote in order to move
for reconsideration, so that the a..
fetal vote stands so to 46.
The Tennessee Senate ratified la.:.
Friday by vote of 25 to 4. If the
House tomorrow votes down the mo-
ton to reconsider all that will re-
main to give women the suffrage
throughout the country will be
proclamation by Secretary of State
Colby at Washington. Secretary
Colby will issue this proclamation as
soon as the action of the Tennessee
Legislature is formally certified to
him.
By the amendment 9,500,OOO wom
en- will be added to the 17,5OO.OO0
who, by state enactment, already
possess the suffrage.
How Parties Lined Up
The lineup of the parties in to-day's
vote was:
Democrats 35; nay, 81; alb
sent, /.
Reppblicans-Aye, IS; nay, 70; alb
sent, 9.
The lineup in the Senate last Fri
day was:
Democrats Aye, 18; nay, 3.
Republicans-Aye, 7; nay, l.
In preparation for the final vote to-
morrow both Sizes are busy tonight,
the sutfragists stiffening their lines 30
that vote may not be lost and the
antis doing their utmost to win over
enough members to turn defeat into VIC
ory.
The ants had a two hour conference
behind closed doors in a hotel room
mere tonight. The decision was to
inspire kilograms from every county
of the state to members rcproaching
them for their vote for ratification.
They intend to get a hundred or 50
messages to each suffrage member. and
many more to the two who made VIC
tory possible
Suffrage leaders are taking steps to
express through the wires their ap-
preclation for the votes Of their
friends. They believe the antis will
gain nothing by their maneuver.
bill has already been drawn by
Judge Joseph Higgins, president of
the Tennessee Constitutional League.
to stop Secretary of State Colby from
promulgating Tennessee's action. II
will be served when the Legislature's
action becomes binding by defeat or
lapse of the House motion to recon
slider.
When the House session began this
morning there were few present who
did not believe that suffrage was
doomed to defeat. The cards were AL
stacked against ratification All Non
day and Tuesday new anti-sufTrage
workers had been pouring into Nash
vile. Claim agents, legislative attor-
neys, "fixers," lawyers allied with the
anti-lo0by came in on each train.
Secret wires were pulled and secret
pressure applied. How powerful these
influences were is seen in the fact that
OF the sixty-two pledged to vote for
ratlhcatlon only forty y-nine did so. But
the lobby could not get enough. 1t
found itself unable Co sway two men.
who had all along been considered
doubtful, and these two men. Ly the
unshaken way they clung TO their
pledges, enabled the House TO ratify.
Doubtful Vote Clinches Victory
One Democrat and one Republican
are TINS afternoon comfortably en-
sconced IN the suffrage hall of fame.
Representative Harry T. Burns, Repub-
l!can, had long been classed doubtful.
he had been given up again and again by
suhragists On motion to table tho
resolution, he voted to table But
when the roll call on ratification came.
9ls aye rang out throughout the hall,
and gave to suffrage the chance TO live.
The other man was Banks Turner
Democrat. He too had been given M.
No one counted on him But on the mo.
tlons to table he voted with the suf
fragists. When the final roll cali came
Burns's vote gave an advantage of one
The motion to table had twice been AZ to
as and with Burns's execution the votes
renamed the same down to Turner's
name Speaker Seth Walker was ait
al