Today in Herstory: Rhode Island and Kentucky Women Win Suffrage! (6 jan 1920)

[niyad]

Today in Herstory: Rhode Island and Kentucky Women Win Suffrage!


Republican Governor Edwin P. Morrow signing Kentucky’s ratification resolution earlier today. In recognition of their work, members of the Kentucky Equal Rights Association were invited to witness the ceremony.


January 6, 1920: Suffrage forces are now two-thirds of the way to victory in the final stage of the “Votes for Women” battle!

Today Rhode Island and Kentucky ratified the Susan B. Anthony (nationwide woman suffrage) Amendment, becoming the 23rd and 24th States to do so. That means just 12 more are needed to put it in the Constitution. At the offices of the National American Woman Suffrage Association there was unrestrained optimism, as they said the goal now was to obtain the approval of those last States by April, so that women in every State can vote in the Presidential Primaries as well as the General Election in November.

The celebration at National Woman’s Party headquarters was delayed a bit, due to a fire, but was equally enthusiastic when it finally occurred. The fire began in the furnace room just about the time word was received of the double ratification. The Party has somewhat of a reputation for using fire as part of its demonstrations, so the crowd gathered in Lafayette Park when the smoke first appeared thought it was some sort of celebration. But the blaze wasn’t intentional or celebratory, and spread from the furnace room to the ballroom to the living quarters, doing about $1,000 damage. Fortunately, the Fire Department arrived quickly, as did the police, who helped carry out the most valuable items to be saved in case the fire couldn’t be extinguished. The 22-star “ratification flag” was among the crucial items quickly brought outside. It was unharmed, so Alice Paul can sew on two more stars.

The margins of victory for ratifications achieved today show just how powerful the momentum for suffrage has become. In Rhode Island the vote was 89 to 3 in the House and unanimous in the Senate. Mary B. Anthony said on behalf of the Rhode Island Equal Suffrage Association: “It is with a feeling of profound satisfaction that I realize that Rhode Island has ratified. ‘Little Rhody’ is a fine State and here’s the proof.”

In Kentucky, the vote was 72 to 25 in the House and 30 to 8 in the Senate and of sufficient priority that the issue was dealt with on the first day of the legislative session. Before ratifying, the Senate rejected by 23 to 15 a proposal to submit the amendment to a Statewide referendum.

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http://feminist.org/blog/index.php/2015/01/06/today-in-herstory-rhode-island-and-kentucky-women-win-suffrage/