Page:History of Woman Suffrage Volume 6.djvu/156

142 HISTORY OF WOMAN SUFFRAGE the Legislature convened and yet the opponents, after all their efforts, failed to have the Legislature go on record as rejecting the Federal Amendment, for the House resolution was never concurred in by the Senate and the Senate resolution was never concurred in by the House and the session adjourned without completing formal action. President Wilson had sent a telegram urging ratification for party expediency and U. S. Senator Harris went to Atlanta to lobby for either ratification or no action, but he was denounced by the legislators and the President was called a "meddler." Members of the Democratic National Committee and Clark Howell, editor of the Atlanta Constitution, and James Hallanan, its political editor, strongly supported ratification, as did Governor Dorsey. The suffrage associations made no effort in 1920, knowing the hopelessness of it. The National Woman's Party endeavored to secure an Enabling Act, so that women might vote under the Federal Amendment although the time for registration had passed, but were not successful. The last meeting of the Equal Suffrage Party was held in Atlanta during the regional conference of the National League of Woman Voters. Thirty-five States had ratified the Federal Amendment, and feeling assured that ratification would soon be fully accomplished, Mrs. McDougald had gained the consent of all the branches to take this occasion to merge it into a State League. This was done April 3, 1920. Miss Annie G. Wright of Augusta was elected chairman and Mrs. McDougald and Mrs. S. B. C. Morgan honorary presidents for life. 1 1 In 1921 the League prepared a bill "to remove the civil disabilities of women," which provided that women should be eligible to vote in all elections, primary and general, in municipalities, counties and the State, and should be eligible to hold public office The only objection made to the bill was to women on juries. The women objected to this exemption but had to yield. In the Senate the vote on July 22 stood 36 for, 3 against; in the House almost unanimous on August 10. These legislators were so courteous and obliging the women could scarcely believe it was a Georgia Legislature. They gave everything asked for and inquired, "Is there anything else we can do for you?" The State organizer of the League of Women Voters is Mrs. Z. L. Fitzpatrick, former president of the State Federation of Women's Clubs. She is most enthusiastic over the new order of affairs and is touring the State organizing leagues and urging women to get out and vote and to nominate women for the offices 1