Women -- Suffrage -- History; Women -- Suffrage -- United States -- History; Women's rights -- History; Women's rights -- United States -- History
Every candidate for the nomination for Governor had stood on a
suffrage platform and the successful Democratic candidate, Governor
James D. Black, defeated at the election by Edwin P. Morrow, was a
staunch and life-long suffragist. When he was filling out Governor
Stanley's unexpired term and he received a telegram in June, with all
other Governors of Southern States, from the Governor of Louisiana,
asking him to oppose ratification of the Federal Amendment, he gave to
Mrs. Breckinridge a ringing interview for use in the press to the
effect that he would not oppose it. Governor Morrow, a Republican, had
always been a friend of woman suffrage in whatever form it was asked.
Kentucky suffragists could easily remember when they could poll but
one vote in Congress--that of John W. Langley. When in 1919 the final
vote was taken on the Federal Amendment but one of the State's ten
votes in the Lower House, that of A. B. Rouse of Covington, was cast
against it. There was one vacancy. Senator George B. Martin voted for
the resolution and Senator J. C. W. Beckham against it. He had voted
against it in February, when, having passed the House, it was lost in
the Senate by a single vote.
RATIFICATION. The November legislative election in 1919 resulted in a
Republican House and a Democratic Senate. The Republicans caucused and
agreed to vote for ratification. Governor Morrow urged it in a
vigorous message personally delivered to the Legislature in which he
said:
A government "of the people by the people" can not and does not
exist in a commonwealth in which one-half of its citizens are
denied the right of suffrage. The women of Kentucky are citizens
and there is no good or just reason why they should be refused
the full and equal exercise of the sovereign right of every free
people--the ballot. Every member of this General Assembly is
unequivocally committed by his party's platform declaration to
cast his vote and use his influence for the immediate
enfranchisement of women in both nation and State. Party loyalty,
faith-keeping with the people and our long-boasted chivalry all
demand that the General Assembly shall break all previous speed
records in ratifying the Federal Suffrage Amendment and passing
all measures granting political rights to women.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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