Page:History of Woman Suffrage Volume 6.djvu/553

 OKLAHOMA 537 United States had developed to such an extent that he was its dominating figure. He insisted on a special session to ratify the amendment. Governor Robertson stated to the convention that because of its interest in Senator Owen's candidacy he would call the session and he did so for February 23. President Wilson sent the following telegram on the 25th to the Speaker of the House: "May I not take the liberty of expressing my earnest hope that Oklahoma will joint the other suffrage States in ratify- ing the Federal Suffrage Amendment, thus demonstrating anew its sense of justice and retaining its place as a leader in democracy?" Mrs. Rufus M. Gibbs and Mrs. Mabel G. Millard, presidents of the Maryland and Iowa Anti-Suffrage Associations, sent urgent telegrams to defeat ratification, which were read to both Houses. Attorney General Freeling made a strong State's rights argument against it but the resolution was finally passed on nary 27 by a vote of 84 to 12 in the House and the next day in the Senate by 25 to 13. Senators Fred Tucker of Ardmore and J. Elmer Thomas of Lawton sponsored it in the Senate and Paul Nesbitt of McAlester and Bert C. Hodges of Okmulgee in the House. Governor Robertson signed it February 28. Attor- ney ( ieneral Freeling immediately started a petition to refer this n to the voters. The decision of the U. S. Supreme Court that there could be no referendum of Federal Amendments ended this final effort. The Ratification Committee, with a feeling of gratitude to the National Suffrage Association for the generous assistance that had Ixcn given to Oklahoma affiliated the State with this body and it was represented at the next national convention by a delega- >f eight. In ig jo Mrs. I^aniar Looney was elected to the State Senate; Bessie McColque to the House and Miss Alice Robertson to the Lower House of Congress. VOL. n