Page:History of Woman Suffrage Volume 6.djvu/620

604 HISTORY OF WOMAN SUFFRAGE which would mean defeat. The "antis" worked through a hastily organized local society at Nashville, which was inspired by Judge John J. Vertrees, a prominent lawyer of that city. A Charles McLean of Iowa, who had been used by the oppo- nents in other State suffrage campaigns, made two or three visits to Nashville during the session. The State suffrage con- vention in this city a few days before the bill came to a vote in the Senate was the largest ever held and many delegates remained for the vote. The bill was introduced by Senator C. W. Rooks, who with Senator John C. Houk led the fight for it. It was lost on Feb- ruary 3 by 21 noes, 12 ayes. A motion to reconsider by Senator A. E. Hill carried it over until the Legislature reconvened on March 7. The generosity of Mrs. Scott, vice-chairman of the Campaign Committee, who gave $500, enabled the State asso- ciation to employ four organizers and the National Association paid the salaries of three more. New organizations were formed and remote towns, which had scarcely ever heard of suffrage, were visited. A telegram from President Wilson urging the Senate to pass the bill was received at the March session but was not read in that body until the day after it was defeated. 1 The motion for reconsideration was laid on the table the first day by 1 8 ayes, 10 noes. Incessant work in behalf of the bill was carried on in the districts of hostile or doubtful Senators from September until January, 1919, when the Legislature met and the bill for Presi- dential and Municipal suffrage was again introduced. It was a hard fight for many weeks made by Mrs. Warner and her com- mittee, with daily, continuous work at the Capitol and "back log" work through the State, where she had the constant help of her board. Mrs. A. G. Buckner, as legislative chairman, worked unceasingly, as did Mrs. Margaret Ervin Ford, Mrs. Reno and Miss Matilda Porter, the lobby committee, assisted by Miss Josephine Miller, a national organizer. Mrs. Dudley came after the national suffrage convention in March. 1 "W. R. Crabtree, President of the Senate: May I not express my earnest hope that the Senate of Tennessee will reconsider the vote by which it rejected the legislation extending the suffrage to women? Our party is so distinctly pledged to its passage that it seems to me the moral obligation is complete. Woodrow Wilson."