Women Get the Vote Women Get the Vote Associated Press August 26, 1920 The adoption of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States granting women the right to vote was the culmination of many decades of activism and agitation by women's rights organizations and their allies, but their victory was marked by little fanfare. Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the amendment, which gave it the approval of three -fourths of the states as required for an amendment to become part of the Constitution. The amendment was ratified on August 18, but it was not formally enacted until August 26 when Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby signed a proclamation. Washington, Aug. 26 Without pomp or ceremony. Secretary Colby today signed the proclamation declaring the woman suffrage amendment to all intents and purposes a part of the Constitution of the United States. The Secretary's signature was affixed to the proclamation at his home at 8 a.m. a few hours after he had received from Gov. Roberts the certificate that final favorable action on the amendment has been taken by the Tennessee Legislature. The quiet manner in which Colby acted was a disappointment to some suffrage workers who had hoped to make a ceremony of his act, but they contented themselves with their own jubilation ceremonies, including a mass meeting tonight. They united in statements that nothing now can be done to prevent the women from voting in November.
The seal of the United States has been duly affixed to the certificate and the suffrage amendment is now the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution. Secretary Colby announced on reaching his office. A desire to avoid the limelight and to prevent arousing the feeling among suffrage workers as to whom should be present prompted the quiet setting. Colby explained, also, that his only purpose was to pursue a simply duty. Colby was awakened at 3:45 a.m. by a State Department employee, who notified him that the Tennessee certification had arrived. The Secretary then called for F. K. Neilsen, department solicitor, to examine the Tennessee papers, also instructing the sollcitor to bring the proclamation to the Secretary's home at 8 o'clock. After the visit of her delegation to the State Department. Miss Alice Paul left here for New York to call a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Woman's party to fix a date for a party convention of future work. Other leaders of the Woman's party, including Mrs. Abby Scott Baker, the party's political chairman, discussed with Solicitor-General Frierson and other officials any possible legal steps the anti-suffragists might take. They later said they believed that all reasonable fear of attack had been dissipated by Mr. Colby's action. Mrs. Cait, who is president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, called at the White House late in the day and presented to President Wilson a book entitled Tribute to Woodrow Wilson, containing testimonials from suffrage leaders and associations in every State. The preface contained an appreciation of the President's effort to bring abo ut suffrage, which, it was said, had continued since 1916. The celebration tonight at a downtown theater was given under the auspices of the National League of Women Voters. Mrs. Catt told of the fight for the
amendment, while President Wilson sent his greetings to the new voters and Secretary Colby also addressed the meeting. Secretary Colby's statement follows. The certified record of the action of the Legislature of the State of Tennessee on the suffrage amendment was receive by mail this morning. Immediately on its receipt the record was brought to my house. This was in compliance with my directions and in accordance with numerous requests for prompt action. I thereupon signed the certificate required of the Secretary of State this morning at 8 o'clock in the presence of Mr. F. K. Nielsen, the solicitor of the State Department, and Mr. Charles L. Cook, also of the State Department. The seal of the United States has been duly affixed to the certificate and the suffrage amendment is now the Nineteenth Amendment of the Constitution. It was decided not to accompany the simple ministerial action on my part with any ceremony or setting. This secondary aspect of the subject has, regretfully, been the source of considerable contention as to who shall participate in it and who shall not. Inasmuch as I am not interested in the aftermath of any of the frictions or collisions which may have been developed in the long struggle for the ratification of the amendment, I contented myself with the performance in the simplest manner of the duties devolved upon me under the law. I congratulate the women of the country upon the successful culmination of their efforts which have been sustained in the face of many discouragements, and which have now conducted them to the achievement of that great object.
The day marks the opening of a great and new era in the political life of the nation. I confidently believe that every salutary, forward and upward force in our public life will receive fresh vigor and reinforcement from the enfranchisement of the women of the country. To the leaders of this great movement I tender my sincere congratulations. To everyone, from the President, who uttered the call to duty, whenever the cause seemed to falter, to the humblest worker in this great reform, the praise not only of this generation, but of posterity, will be freely given. The proclamation recounts the process by which the new Article XIX, of the Constitution, was presented and ratified, naming the ratifying States, and continues: Now, therefore, be it known that I, Bainbridge Colby, Secretary of State of the United States, by virtue and in pursuance of Section 205, of the revised statutes of the United States, do hereby certify that the amendment aforesaid has become valid to all intents and purposes as a part of the Constitution of the United States. Following is the proclamation signed by Secretary Colby: To all to whom these presents shall come, greeting: Know we, that the Congress of the United States at the first session Sixty-sixth Congress begun at Washington on the 19th day of May in the year one thousand nine hundred and nineteen, passed a resolution as follows: to wit. Proposing an amendment to the Constitution extending the right of suffrage to women. Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled (two-thirds of each House concurring therein) that the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution which shall be valid to all intents and purpose s as part of the Constitution when ratified by the Legislature of three-fourths of the several States.
The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. And, further, that it appears from official documents on file in the Department of State that the amendment to the Constitution of the United States proposed as aforesaid has been ratified by the legislators of the States of Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota. Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada. New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Nexico, North Dakota, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. And, further, that the States whose Legislatures have so ratified the said proposed amendment constitute three-fourths of the whole number of States in the United States. Now, therefore, be it known that I, Bainbridge Colby, Secretary of State of the United States, by virtue and in pursuance of Section 205 of the Revised Statutes of the United States, do hereby certify that the amendment aforesaid has become valid to all intents and purposes as a part of the Constitution of the United States. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the Department of State to be affixed. Done at the city of Washington, this twenty-sixth day of August, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and twenty. [Signed.] BAINBRIDGE COLBY.
Much credit for ratification of the woman suffrage amendment by the Tennessee Legislature is given Senator James D. Phelan of California, a suffragist leader here. Miss Paul, in a letter today to Senator Phelan, said: I take this opportunity to express to you on behalf of the National Woman's Party, representing women in every State, our appreciation of your generous and practical help in the campaign. Your contribution of $1000 toward the Tennessee work was of great aid in bringing about victory in making possible a more effective campaign than would otherwise have been possible. We deeply appreciate the continued service which you have given to the suffrage cause throughout the ratification period. There is absolutely nothing that can be done now to upset or nullify the ratification of suffrage by the Tennessee Legislature, declared Mrs. Harriet Taylor Upton, vice-chairman of the Republican National Executive Committee and president of the Ohio Suffrage Association. I regard the suffrage victory in Tennessee as perfectly safe right now, and nothing can undo it. Otherwise Mrs. Cait and I never would have left Nashville and come to Washington. Source: Associated Press, August 26, 1920.