US women now have universal suffrage
Tennessee legislature has ratified the 19th Amendment
to the Constitution
- - Conservatives are trying to prevent ratification
Nashville, Tenn. Aug. 19th - The Tennessee House yesterday opted
to join, with 50 votes in favor, 46 against, the Senate’s
Friday decision of 25 votes in favor and 14 against
to ratify the proposed 19th Amendment
to the US Constitution.
Tennessee is the 36th state that has ratified the
amendment granting American women universal suffrage.
The amendment becomes the law once Secretary of State
Bainbridge Colby officially declares it ratified.
The Democrat and Republican votes of the
Tennessee House were as follows:
In favor: 35 Democrats and 15 Republicans;
against 34 Democrats and 12 Republicans.
Absent were one Democrat and two Republicans.
In the Senate, 18 Democrats and 7 Republicans
voted in favor;
against three Democrats and one Republican.
An effort to repeal the ratification
The Speaker of the House Walker, who is one
of the most vehement opponents of women’s suffrage,
at last moment changed his vote from a “nay”
to a “yes” to make it possible, according to
Parliamentary rules, to readdress the ratification,
and if possible to repeal it. He has two days
to present his proposal. The proponents of
women’s suffrage are determined to be present
to prevent all repeal efforts. The proponents
have only a two-vote majority, thus the opponents
are hoping to get a couple of the supporters
to miss the session or to get a couple of the
absentees to join them.
The proponents of women’s suffrage
say they are certain that there will be
nothing to prevent millions of American
women to cast their ballots in the
Nov. 4th elections. The opponents no doubt
will try to filibuster the enactment with
lawsuits, but the general opinion strongly
supports universal suffrage, and according
to the suffragettes they will be nullified.
Translated by Marita Cauthen 15.08.2020
https://www.raivaaja.org/RAIVAAJA_PDFS/1920-08-23r.pdf
