Page:History of Woman Suffrage Volume 6.djvu/513

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HISTORY OF WOMAN SUFFRAGE.

NORTH CAROLINA 497 lina. In the early summer President Wilson telegraphed to Governor Bickett : "I need not point out to you the critical importance of the action of your great State in the matter of the suffrage amendment." The Governor replied in part : "I hope the Tennessee Legislature will meet and ratify the amend- ment and thus make immediate action by North Carolina unneces- sary. We have neither the time nor the money and such action on the part of Tennessee would save this State the feeling of bitterness that would surely be engendered by debate on the subject that would come up in the Legislature. I have said all I intend to say on the subject of ratification. While I will take my medicine I will never swear that it tastes good, for it doesn't." Just before the assembling of the Legislature suffrage head- quarters were opened in Raleigh with Miss Gertrude Weil, president of the State Equal Suffrage League, and Mrs. Palmer Jerman, chairman of its legislative committee, in charge. Miss Engle and Miss Pidgeon, national organizers, were also mem- bers of the headquarters group. Miss Martha Hay wood did invaluable work as publicity chairman. A booth with literature, posters, etc., was established in the Yarborough Hotel. Among the prominent men who during the struggle for ratifi- cation strongly urged it were: Secretary Daniels, Gen. Julian S. (an; I 'ol. Wade Harris, editor of the Charlotte Obsen-cr ; J. V. Bailey, collector of Internal Revenue; Clyde R. Hoey, member of Congress; Max O. Gardner, Lieutenant Gov- ernor; J. C. Pritchard, Judge of the U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals: Dennis G. Brununitt, Speaker of the House; ex-Gov- ernor Locke Craig, A. W. Me. Mister and many others. Senator Sinn MO as a^ked to come to Raleigh to assist in the 1 to do so but issued another statement that, although he had always been opposed to suffrage and his position was unchanged, he reali/.ed that its coining was inevitable and be- 1 that it would help the Democratic party to ratify. Later, in response to a request from the Raleigh Xews and Observer, he stressed the point that, since the rest of the country was prac- tically unanimous for ratification, he feared sectional antagonism might be aroused if North Carolina did not ratify. Mr. Bryan