Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1920-08-25
FEDERAL SUFFRAGE: TO RE PROCLAIM
 WITHIN 24 HOURS Gov. Roberts Certifies Ten hessee's Ratification After
 Ruling Given STATE ATTORNEY HOLDS
 WRIT IS SET ASIDE Next Step May be Appeal to District of Columbia Supreme Court For An Order Restraining
 Colby


 ! Washington, Aug. 24-Tssuance of a proclamation by the state depart ment formally announcing ratifica- tion of three-fourths of the states of 1 the federal suffrage amendment is ex- pccted by suffrage leaders within 24 1 hours. Their prediction was based on Secretary Colby's announcement that he was prepared to issue the ! proclamation as soon as he received lthe official notification from Gov ernor Roberts of Tennessee which dispatches from Nashville said, was placed in the mails at noon today. I Nashville, Tenn, Aug. 24.-Gover- nor Roberts today certified by mail ! to Secretary of State Colby, Tennes- sees ratification of the woman suf- frage amendment after receiving from Attorney General Frank M. Thompson an opinion that writ of certiorari and supersedeas issued by Chief Justice D. l.. Lansden of the state supreme court, last night, in effect set aside an order temporarily restraining the governor from taking such action. The injunction was ob- tained by citizens of Nashville oppos- ed to suffrage on the plea that action on the amendment by this legisla- ture was in violation of the state con- stitution and illegal in other particu- l lars.
 Issuance of the write and the gov ernor's certification serves to trans CT to Washington the battle over le- gality of ratification and suffrage leaders declared the American consti- tutional league was prepared to ap- jply to the District of Columbia su- preme court for an order restraining Secretary Colby from issuing proc lamation declaring the amendment in effect. So far as court action in Ten nessee is concerned, the only thing in prospect for the antis is to re- quest the supreme court to rescind the individual action of Justice Lans- den. The court meets in Knoxville, Sept. 20. Just what effect the re- fusal of the court to uphold Justice Lansden's course, would have on the general situation no one was pre- pared to say.
 Announcement this morning that Justice Lansden had issued the writ followed an hour later by the state ment that the governor had mailed a oor.%if the camp of the anti suffrage forces and an agreeable surprise to the suf- fragists. There had been no intima- tion such course was planned and small circle of the suffrage lead CTS had kept the secret we'll.
 Attorney-General Thompson filed the petition for the writ with Justice Lansden at his residence last night on behalf of Governor Roberts, sec retary of State Stevens and Speaker Andrew Todd and Clerk w. M. Car ter of the senate, parties to the re- straining order. The names of Seth Walker, speaker of the house and opposition leader, and John Green, clerk of the house, also named in the injunction, were not on the petition presented the justice and it was un- derstood only Justice Lansden, Gov ernor Roberts and MT. Thompson ac- tually knew what was contemplated
 Say Battles Over.
 MT. Thompson argued the case be- fore the justice and the writ was granted. The petition was filed with the clerk of the supreme court at 9:55 o'clock this morning and twenty five minutes later the certificate of rati- fication was in the mails on it's way to Washington.
 The petitioners who obtained the injunction, their attorneys and anti suffragists generally, were amazed at the coup and the petitioners, in a their criticism of what they termed the Thigh handed tactics and unpre- cedented methods involved in the case.
 This action was taken and the in- Junction in effect dissolved without any notice whatsoever to the com Eplainants or their solicitors, all of whom live in Nashville and were cas- fly accessible" the statement said, "although the rules of law generally and. as stated by competent authority and the rule of professional ethics and courtesy, always requires that mo- tice be given opposing counsel of the intention to apply to an appellate judge for the writ of supersedeas.
 Lawyers who have been consulted stated they hardly believe that such action was taken and acted on by Governor Roberts as it appeared to them to be at least, if not revolu- tionary in character in such viola tion of established law and procedure las to seem almost incredible" Governor Roberts would make no statement but suffrage leaders re- garded the battle ended so far as the legislature and the .state are con. ee{1led I'll prepared leave foi
 M There general