Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1920-08-26
NO VOTE FOR WOMEN
In PRIMARY TUESDAY

Governor Cooper has written u
letter to Mrs. Bertha T. Munsell Of
Columbia. chairman Of the South
Carolina League OF Women Voters.
deciinins to comply with the request
or the league that he call an extra
session of the General Assembly to
amend the law to enable women to
vote In the Democratic primarie to
be held. throughout the State next
Tuesday. August 81. In his letter to
Mrs. Munseu Governor Cooper says
thst an extra session of the General
Assembly would result in nothing
30 far IA enabling women to vote in
tne primary Is concerned" With
ths governors letter the hopes OF
the leaders of woman suffrage that
they would be able to vote in the
primary are dead. Governor Coop
srs letter to Mrs. Munsell follows:
II have received your letter In
which You ask that l put forth my
best efforts to enable women to vote
In the forthcoming primary cleo
tions. Thia subject has received my
careful thought and ] have also con-
suited with others who are anxious
to do the right thing. As you well
know l was opposed to the Susan b.
anthony amendment. but II IL not
my disposition nor policy to sulk
and obstruct when once this amend
Went becomes. q part OF the funda-
mental law OF tho land.
Tho action Of the Tennsssse Gen
eral Assembly has not been certified
to the secretary of state In Wash
ington and in oil likelihood will not
hs for some days at least. Tho first
prtmary In South Carolina will be
held August al. The time interven-
Ing 10 very short. Even should the
amendment DO certified and the
proclamation announcing 1t issued
prior TO the. primary. the time for
action would be too short to permit
any steps taken by special session
or the General Assembly. am GER
tain our legislators would take no
action before the amendment Is an
nounced. and l am equally certain
that they will not have time to act
after 1t Is ANNOUNCED, even assuming
that not v single member of our
senate or house OF representatives
would interpose objection.
Under the circumstances a call
tor an extra session woult be wholly
uhJustined on my part. AZ II would
result In nothing so far as enabling
women to vote in the primary Is
CONCERNED. Allow me to repeat that
when the 18th amendment becomes
| part OF the constitution | shall ss-
sast In every way possible the women
| or this state In their efforts TO meet
this new responsibility and enjoy the
new privilege of citizenship"
nessee certihed by mail to Secretary
OF State Colby Tennessee's 3 ratification
or the woman suffrage amendment,
after receiving from +. M. Thomp-
son. attorney general Of Tennessee, an
opinion that writ issued by Chief
Justice Lansden OF the State su-
preme court Monday night and In ef-
rect set aside lower court order
temporarily restraining the governor
from taxing action. The first In
junction was obtaiped by citizens of
Nashville opposed to suffrage.
Issuance OF the writ and the gov
errors certifcatlon serve to trans
ter to washington tho battle over le-
sality or ratification. Anti suffrage
leaders, declared the American Con-
s'itutlonal league was prepared to
apply to the District of Columbia
supreme court for an order restrain
ing Secretary Colby from issuing a
proclamation declaring the amend
ment In effect
\ Washington dispatch appearing
In the daily papers OF Tuesday said
| that issuance OF proclamation by
the state department formally an
nouncing that three -fourths OF the
states had ratified tho federal suf-
irage, amendment was expected by
suffrage leaders within "a hours.
Their prediction was based on Secre-
| tary Colby's recent announcement
\ that he was prepared to issue the
| proclamation as soon az he received
| the official notification from Gov
| eTnor Roberts Of Tennessee