New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-08-22
House Votes Against Re-
consideration Motion,
50 to O, After Oppo-
nents Cross to Alabama
Action Called
Illegal by Foes
Lack of Quorum Is
Charged; Notification
of Colby Enjoined;
Courts Add to Tangle

NASHVILLE, Tenn, Aug. 21.-The
Tennessee House of representatives.
to-day, by vote of so to 0, defeated q
motion to reconsider its decision OF
Wednesday ratifying the suffrage
amendment 10 the constitution. This
action was taken despite the fact that
ihirty-seven anti-suffragist members
, early to-day crossed the state line into
Alabama in order to prevent the gath
ering of quorum.
The House acted in accordance with
the contention of T. X. Riddick, suf-
frage leader, that quorum of 60, as re
qured by the House rules. wasn't nee
essary when Federal amendment was
under consideration. He argued that a
legislature gets its power to ratify an
amendment from Federal law and not
from state law, and that therefore the
House was not bound BY the state lin
itation requiring a quorum. He as
serted that in voting on the amendment
majority vote was sufficient to ex-
press the will of the House.
Suffrage Decision Upheld
A majority of the House was present
and, following the course mapped out
BY Representative Riddick, the mem
hers defeated the motion to recons de +
Wednesdays decision, voted to instruct
The clerk TO transmit the resolution to
the Senate as passed, and then adj
journed until Monday.
While the House was in session
: Judge L. F Langford of the Chancery
Court of Davidson County, issued a
temporary writ of injunction restrain
ing Governor Roberts and |. B. Stevens.
Secretary of State, from transmitting
to cambridge Colby. Secretary of State
in Washington, a certitication of rati-
fcaton of the suffrage amendment by
the Tennessee Legislature.
Legislatures Action Assaulted
The application for the writ asserted
that the present Legisla ture could not
legally ratfy the amendment. because
the state constitution provides that no
general assembly shall act upon an
amendment to the Federal Constitution
unless that Assembly shall have been
amendment to the states. The present
Legislature was elected before the
Susan B. Anthony amendment was sub
mtted. The application attacked the
means used by suffrage supporters to
secure ratification, asserting that such
methods were "wholly illegal"
The status of Tennessees ratifica>
ton is tangle tonight. Most of the
anti suffragists are in Alabama where
the Tennessee House is powerless to
arrest them and force attendance at
sessions, and where they can filibuster
indefinitely or until they believe they
have won the two votes from the ranks
Of suffrage supporters needed to recon
slider ratification and reverse Wednes-
days decision.
Meanwhile the suffragists, confident
that their action to-day was legal, are
temporarily opposed by the writ of in
Junction preventing certifcation. Legal
authorities are agreed that the courts
must be called upon to unite the pres
eht knot and determine whether Ten
nessee has ratified
Celebration by Suffragists
!, The sufragists, however, confident
that they have won, celebrated their
victory to-day with complete indiffer-
ehce to the legal difficulties still sur
FOUNDING the ratification resolution.
iney rang victory bell that had been
hung for the occasion, paraded and
eheered
Inc srffragists held that the action
VI tne House buried once and for all
any prospect of reconsideration of rat
Continued on paqe three)