Page:History of Woman Suffrage Volume 6.djvu/95

CONNECTICUT 8l by means of both Republican and Democratic votes. This made the 36th State and Secretary Colby proclaimed the Federal Suf- frage Amendment a part of the National Constitution. The Democrats were claiming the credit and the general election was only two months away. The Republicans, especially those in Connecticut, keenly felt the situation. Governor Holcomb was obliged to call a special session to enact legislation for registering the women. The Legislature was called to meet September 14 and the Governor warned it that it must restrict itself to the business outlined in the call. No such restriction had ever before been laid upon a Connecticut Legislature and the Governor him- self two years before had urged that he was powerless to pre- vent it from enacting any bills that it pleased when once it had been called in special session. The members of House and Sen- ate were almost unanimous in resenting this attempt to fetter their action and plans were laid to ratify the Federal Amendment. Before September 14, however, developments in regard to the Tennessee ratification seemed to threaten its validity and Gov- ernor Holcomb and the Republican leaders perceived that there was an emergency which called for ratification by Connecticut to prevent difficulty in the coming elections. This was especially apparent to U. S. Senator Frank B. Brandegee, who had been an uncompromising opponent of the Federal Suffrage Amend- ment and voted against it every time it came before the Senate. He sent an urgent letter to Colonel Ullman, chairman of the Men's Ratification League, in which he said: "In view of the fact that the validity of the ratification of the amendment by the State of Tennessee has been questioned and that the result of the entire election throughout the country may be imperilled thereby, and in consideration of the fact that the amendment is certain to be ratified by more than the required number of States as soon as their Legislatures assemble in 1921, I earnestly hope that the Legislature of Connecticut will ratify it." * As soon as the special session opened Governor Holcomb went before it and asked it to adjourn without action, as he intended .withstanding this letter the State Suffrage Association used its whole strength against Senator Brandegee's election on November 2. It was estimated that 90 per cent, of the women voted. Although the big 'Republican landslide elected him he received 13.446 fewer votes than the Republican candidate for President.