Page:History of Woman Suffrage Volume 6.djvu/634

 6l8 HISTORY OF WOMAN SUFFRAGE Constitution is derived solely from the people of the United States through this constitution and not from the people or the constitu- tion of the State. The provision of the Tennessee constitution that no Legislature shall act on an amendment to the Federal Constitution unless elected after the proposal of the amendment, if valid, would undoubtedly be a restriction upon that power. . . .. If the Legislature is called in extra session it will have the clear right to ratify." A request was made to President Wilson for assistance, and on June 24 he sent the following telegram to Governor Roberts: "It would be a real service to the party and to the nation if it is possible for you under the peculiar provisions of your State con- stitution, having in mind the recent decision of the Supreme Court in the Ohio case, to call a special session of the Legislature to consider the Federal Suffrage Amendment. Allow me to urge this very earnestly." At the same time the Governor received a telegram signed by practically every member of the Tennessee delegation at the National Democratic convention meeting in San Francisco, impressing on him the advantage to the party of his calling the extra session. In addition U. S. Senator Kenneth McKellar, a member of the platform committee of that conven- tion, secured a plank in the platform, endorsing the amendment and urging the Democratic Governors and legislators of Tennessee and other States to unite in an effort to complete the ratification. On June 26 Homer S. Cummings, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, informed the Governor that the committee that day by unanimous vote had directed him to send the following message: "We most earnestly emphasize the extreme importance and urgency of an immediate meeting of your Legislature for the purpose of ratifying the proposed igth Amendment to the Federal Constitution." On June 8 the Tennessee Democratic convention had passed the following reso- lution: "We heartily favor the ratification of the I9th Amend- ment to the Constitution of the United States. . . and we demand that the Governor call an extra session." Governor Roberts answered President Wilson : "I will call the extra session in ample time for the women to vote in the