The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-08-18
TENNESSEE
BECOMES
. 36lH TO
RAlIFY
House Votes 49 to AZ, and
Long Civic Battle Comes
to an End

NASHVILLE. Tenn. Aug. f1.-
Woman suffrage became part Of ti,o
basic law Of the United States TODAY
! when the Tennessee legislature ratl-
fed the Susan B. Anthony constitu.
tional amendment
The Tennessee house passed tl3o
ratification resolution. which had A.
ready been adopted by the senate.
Tennessee was the 36th state %
ratify. thus completing the ratiflca.
ton and putting the amendment into
the constitution. bringing 10 4 vic.
torious conclusion the long night for
equal suffrage In the United Stateg
The vote was ~ TO ~.
The victory came after two dayu
Of debate.
The FIRST test Of strength on The
resolution resulted in a tie vote, -
10 4s. This vote was on . motion
TO table the resolution ratifying tlso
amendment.
SPEAKER CHANGES
HIS VOTE
The motion was made By spsalrP
Walker. leader Of the antfA After
two roll-calls on Walkers motion
without result. the house dropped
the motion and started to vote on
the ratification resolution.
The vote was accompanied By wi1d
scenes in the house chamber. The
galleries and aisles were packed The
suffragists, wearing their yellow
badges. started = great oemonstra-
ton.
Immediately after the vote VA an
nounced Speaker Walker. who voted
against ratification. changed his vote
70 favor rattncAfion. This wAs done
in order to give him the right TO
move . reconsideration Of the reso-
luton. The reconsideration motion
must be made within two days.
Suffrage workers were confident
that walkers move would not result
in any change in the final action u .
reconsideration Is called for.
Women now win be able to vote IN
the November elections on equality
with men unless the amendment n
blocked in the courts or a reconsid-
Grafton changes the result
VOTE COMES WITH
DRAMATIC SUDDENNESS
The vote in the house came with
dramatic suddenness after an inef-
fectual attempt to table the resolu-
ton OF ratification had been made.
Speaker Walker moved to table. The
vote on this was IS to 4s. and the
house went into an uproar because
the decision was in doubt. A sec
ond roll call also tied.
Then the speaker announced the
vote would be taken on the original
resolution providing for ratification.
When order had been restored the
and the onlookers held their breath.
The vote was announced as - for
suffrage. ~ against
Speaker Walker was Immediately
on his feet and the house was in con-
fusion.
Then Walker said: II change my
vote"
This made the result 50 In favor g
suffrage and 46 against
Walker is an anti.ratificationist.
BY changing his vote he gains two
days during which reconsideration
may be had.
The anti-suffagists will immcdi-
ately begin work to get reconsid-
GRAFTON and defeat of the amendment.
For a minute after the final vote
was called it looked as IL it was tie.
II would have been but Representa-
tive Harry Burns Immediately an
nounced he changed his vote from
mo" to aye" This gave victory for
the resolution of ratification.
Nine states refused to ratify the
suffrage amendment. They were Ala
bama. South Carolina, Delaware.
Georgia. Virginia. Louisiana, Missis-
sippi, Maryland and North Carolina
Aside from this and the possibility
OF a change in the result through a
reconsideration. the only step re-
naming TO make the 18th amendment
operative is the PRONUNCIATION Of a de-
cree from the secretary OF state.
Suffragists estimated there are
$4,000. 600 women voters in the coun-
try. Seven million OF these already
have had presidential suffrage thru
state action and 17.00o.0o have local
suffrage.