Volume VI Part 59 (1/2)
The list of speakers included 1,495 names and almost no meeting or convention of any importance was held during the latter part of the three months that did not make room on its program for a talk on woman suffrage.
On the other hand every nook and corner of the State was flooded with anti-suffrage literature, a great deal of it emanating from U. S.
Senator Reed of Missouri, of such a vile, insinuating character that when placed by the ”antis” upon the desks of the legislators they quickly pa.s.sed protesting resolutions with only five dissenting votes.
These called attention to the splendid work of Texas women during the war and their suffering at the absence and loss of their loved ones; declared that this literature was ”nothing short of a slap in the face of these good women and of the members who pa.s.sed, by a unanimous vote, the woman suffrage amendment,” and said: ”Resolved that we go upon record as condemning the circulation of this character of literature and opposed to the sentiments expressed therein. We re-affirm our allegiance to the woman suffrage amendment ... and when we return to our homes we will do all in our power to secure the pa.s.sage of this amendment.”
Some of the most vicious literature was from a so-called ”Man's Organization Opposed to Woman Suffrage,” with headquarters in Selma, Ala. Former U. S. Senator Bailey, who had been residing in New York for some years, made a speaking tour of the State, a.s.sailing the amendment in the most vindictive manner.[182]
The Women's National Anti-Suffrage a.s.sociation sent Miss Charlotte Rowe of New York, who spoke and worked against the amendment. Mrs.
James W. Wadsworth, Jr., president of this a.s.sociation, accompanied by her husband, the U. S. Senator, came into the State during the campaign and held some parlor meetings. She appointed Mrs. James B.
Wells, wife of the political ”boss of the borderland” at Brownsville, to send out literature, speak where possible, etc. Mrs. Wells had headquarters in Austin with Mrs. Darden and their work was done from there. The amendment failed but not because of their feeble efforts.
It was opposed by the strongest political forces in Texas, including the liquor interests. The vote was 141,773 ayes, 166,893 noes; defeated by a majority of 25,120.
In eleven days after this defeat--on June 4--the Federal Woman Suffrage Amendment was submitted by Congress to the Legislatures for ratification. Both of the Texas Senators--Charles A. Culberson and Morris Sheppard--and nine Representatives voted for it.
RATIFICATION. Governor Hobby issued a call for a second special session of the Legislature to convene June 23 to consider other matters but the opening day found the suffragists on hand ready to ask for ratification. The ”antis” were on hand also and while they were holding a conference in the Driskill Hotel to devise ways and means of obtaining a hearing before the House committee, Resolution No. 1 to ratify the amendment was read the first time in the House and referred to this committee. The ”antis” came in just in time to learn that the committee had held its meeting, favorably reported the resolution and it had been made the special order of business for 11 o'clock the next morning. All of this occurred before noon of the first day.
Speaker R. E. Thomason was one of the most ardent supporters of the resolution and promptly on the hour it was brought up. As a poll of the House had shown that it was safe, the leaders decided not to choose between the dozens who wanted to speak in its behalf but to let the ”antis” do the talking since the ”pros” had the votes. The ”father of the House,” Representative King of Erath, alone spoke for it but the opponents talked until 3:55 p. m., when some one moved the previous question. The vote stood 96 ayes, 20 noes. As the Senate committee hearing was set for 4 o'clock there could be no thought of lunch but only to hurry to its room in the far removed wing of the Capitol. That hearing can never be adequately described.
Ex-Congressman Robert W. Henry and State Senator J. C. McNealus, fire-eating ”antis,” almost came to blows over the name of former Governor Ferguson, and Miss Rowe, the New York crusader, had a difficult time with questions. The chairman was instructed to report favorably and in the Senate the real fight was on.
The opposition tried every conceivable method to defer or defeat.
Heckling, threats, fervid oratory had no effect on the favoring Senators. Filibustering continued all through Wednesday and Thursday, except when the Senate recessed to listen to Governor Brough of Arkansas, who touched on the justice of suffrage for women in an effective manner. Finally their swan song was due and came from Senator W. A. Johnston of Houston, intimate friend of ex-Senator Bailey. Senator Paul Page of Bastrop ably led the fight in behalf of the resolution. On June 27, at 7 p. m., it pa.s.sed to third reading by a vote of 18 to 9, with one pair and one absentee. That night the opposition tried to get enough Senators out of town to break the quorum but the friendly members and the women ”shadowed” the pa.s.sengers on all out-going trains. On June 28 by a viva voce vote the Senate went on record as the ninth State to ratify the Federal Suffrage Amendment, the actual strength being 19 to 10, with one absent. Lieutenant Governor W. A. Johnson proved his friends.h.i.+p and loyalty to the cause of woman suffrage by remaining in the chair constantly during the four days' contest.
With the women of Texas soon to be fully enfranchised the State Equal Suffrage a.s.sociation in October, 1919, merged into the State League of Women Voters, with Mrs. Jessie Daniel Ames chairman.[183]
[LAWS. An excellent digest of the laws for women and children accompanied this chapter, showing considerable advance since a resume was given in Volume IV of the History of Woman Suffrage. The writer of the present chapter insists that they never were so unjust as there represented. The omission of the laws from this, as from the other State chapters for lack of s.p.a.ce is a loss to the History.]
FOOTNOTES:
[177] The History is indebted for this chapter to Mrs. Jane Y.
McCallum, member of the Executive Board of the State Equal Suffrage a.s.sociation as chairman of the Legislative Committee, the Ratification Committee and the Publicity Committee.
[178] It is a matter of much regret that the dramatic account sent of this remarkable campaign must be omitted because of the pressing lack of s.p.a.ce.--Ed.
[179] See Primary suffrage in Arkansas chapter.
[180] Judge F. G. Chambliss of the 36th District Court, who was defeated for reelection at this time, claimed that it was due to votes of women and brought suit in the 79th District Court at Corpus Christi to test the legality of the Primary Law. Judge V. M. Taylor ruled that it was unconst.i.tutional. In another case an injunction was sought to restrain the tax collector of McLennan county from issuing poll tax receipts to women. The Appellate and Supreme Courts upheld the const.i.tutionality of the law.
[181] The speech of Morris Sheppard delivered in the U. S. Senate Aug.
5, 1918, was one of the strongest arguments ever made for the Federal Suffrage Amendment.--Ed.
[182] After women got the Primary vote Mr. Bailey returned to Texas and announced himself a candidate for Governor. He was overwhelmingly defeated at the primaries and his comment was: ”The women and the preachers did it.”
[183] The following women besides those mentioned have held office in the a.s.sociation since 1900: Mesdames Tex Armstrong, Anna B. Cade, A.
O. Critchett, John Davis, Walter L. Fordtran, Mary Herndon Gray, Goodrich Jones, Lindley Miller Keasbey, Helen Moore, Elizabeth Stribling Maury, Jane Yelvington McCallum, Sterling Myer, Elizabeth Herndon, Dwight Edward Potter, Ella Pomeroy, E. B. Reppert, L. E.
Walker, Robert Aeneas Watt; Misses Mary Fowler Bornefield, Irelene DeWitt, Marin B. Fenwick, Kate Hunter, A. A. Stuart, Hettie D. M.
Wallis.
CHAPTER XLIII.
UTAH.[184]