COVER STORY Votes for Women By Wanda G. Sobieski They must have felt the whole world was against them. When they arrived Tennessee in Knoxville in late 1917, they were met with the same hostility that they had met in Memphis, Nashville, and several smaller Tennessee towns. 1 The Lawyers vs. local lawyers and judges in each community had used their considerable influence to silence the former prisoners. 2 Even the weather had now the Suffragists turned against them. Their long gowns and light wraps were all that protected them from the cold, rainy November night and the swirling controversy. 3 As they walked to the Knoxville courthouse, they fully expected to be shot. 4 Nearly 70 years into the struggle, the prize was in sight but still very far Women march for the right to vote in this circa 1915 Nashville parade. Sadie Warner Frazer out of reach. The courageous, inspiring women who led them through the Papers. Photo courtesy Tennessee State Library and Archives. early days had shown amazing strength and endurance, but even they 12 | TENNESSEE BAR JOURNAL AUGUST 2015 “commitment” in the party platform and campaign to win the attention and favor President Wilson’s re-election hope grew. of the nation. 10 Dignified, silent sentinels The excitement was palpable when with colorful gold, purple and white Alice Paul and 300 supporters met with banners appeared at the front gates of President Wilson on Jan. 9, 1917, the White House and stood motionless expecting that the president would have day in and day out, in ice, snow, sleet, a plan for winning Congressional rain or relentless heat. They served as a approval of the Susan B. Anthony constant and unavoidable reminder to Amendment. 7 They had worked so hard the president and all who entered there and so long to get to this point and were that American women were still being not at all prepared for the abrupt and icy denied full citizenship in this country reception they received. Instead of that bragged about its “democracy” all committing to help to advance the cause over the world. 11 in Congress as his party’s platform Even when the United States entered suggested, President Wilson shirked any World War I in April 1917, the peaceful, commitment to Woman Suffrage by relentless picketing continued. 12 The claiming he was not the leader of his women did not put aside pressing for party, but only the servant of his party, their fundamental rights again as they saying, “Ladies, you must concert public had done during the Civil War. The opinion on behalf of woman suffrage.” 8 universal suffrage that was expected to Once again, they were on their own. follow a Union victory in the Civil War While they certainly did not have the had, instead, become suffrage for black kind of resources the national political men only and resulted in the first parties had, the decades of ceaseless explicit Constitutional protection for pleading, explaining, arguing and only male voters. 13 campaigning for the Amendment had As President Wilson extolled the taught them to hold their heads high, virtues of democracy to garner support could not escape the ravages of age and swallow their fears and march on. They for America’s effort in World War I (the death. Now more than a decade after were not about to give up now. They war to “make the world safe for democ - Susan B. Anthony’s death, the finish of resolved to raise Woman Suffrage to the racy”), he seemed oblivious to the harsh the battle had been left to a new genera - top of the national agenda by all the irony of his words. The silent sentinels tion that was deeply divided on strategy peaceful means they could muster or responded by carrying not only the and tactics. imagine. They would “concert public beautiful, colorful banners of the Finally, in 1916, Woman Suffrage opinion” against the political party in National Woman’s Party, but also made it into the platforms of both power that chose not to use its power banners emblazed with the president’s national political parties, 5 giving the and influence to bring the franchise to own words praising democracy. 14 Those women hope that the newly re-elected President Wilson would act quickly to have Congress pass a federal amend - This month marks the 95th anniversary of the passage of ment so millions of women would have the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. a voice in their government at last. Earlier that year the amendment had been killed before it made it to the floor the women. 9 Without hesitation, they banners drew attention to his hypocrisy of the House of Representatives, went to work. by failing to act to help half of the citi - because, in part, to the efforts of The very next day after the chilling zens of his own country who had no Tennessee Rep. Thetus Sims 6 (whose meeting with President Wilson, and in voice in their government. The women own daughter was in favor of the response to the president’s “suggestion,” pointedly blamed President Wilson and suffrage cause). But with the new the National Woman’s Party began a Continued on page 14 AUGUST 2015 TENNESSEE BAR JOURNAL | 13 Suffragists continued from page 13 the Democratic party in power for their failure to correct this injustice. 15 As month after month wore on, the persistent and relentless presence and criticism of the women grated on the president and his supporters. Finally, on June 20, 1917, Washington D.C. Police Commissioner Louis Brownlow (son-in- law of Tennessee Rep. Thetus Sims and husband of Sims’ suffragist daughter) issued an order to arrest and imprison them. 16 Many were confined for long periods of time without charges as government agents tried to find a crime with which to charge them. 17 The arrests and jailings continued for months, but did little to discourage the women. Inspired by their courage, other women poured into Washington Women's Suffrage Ratification in the Tennessee Senate Chamber, 1920, Library Collection. This photograph D.C. to replace the ones who were from the "Ratification Issue" of the Nashville Tennessean , Sunday morning, Aug. 29, 1920, depicts the Senate chamber at the moment that the clerk counted the historic vote on women's suffrage. Women flood arrested, only to be arrested and jailed the gallery and floor as the clerk counts the votes. Photo courtesy Tennessee State Library and Archives. themselves as still more women came to replace them. Ultimately hundreds of women —women from all walks of life, Alice Paul, was jailed and subjected to jail, most returned immediately to the all social levels, most states (even some deplorable treatment. 19 White House to continue their protest from other countries) — came to help. 18 In response, on Nov. 5, 1917, Alice with renewed determination. Others were At first the women were imprisoned in Paul and Rose Winslow began a hunger dispatched to make the ill treatment of an abandoned, dilapidated jail in D.C. strike, demanding to be treated as polit - the women known everywhere. 25 or in nearby Occoquan workhouse. No ical prisoners. 20 In an effort to discredit Former prisoners Maud Younger, Joy one was spared, young or old, mill her, Alice Paul was transferred to solitary Young and Mrs. Howard Gould were workers and aristocrats alike were confinement in a psychiatric ward. 21 sent on a Dixie Tour through the South arrested. Even the frail- How disappointed the government offi - to ensure that the chivalrous men of the looking young Quaker, cials must have been when their psychi - south were aware of the horrible treat - atrist declared she was not insane, but, ment the women suffered at the hands Looking for instead, possessed the spirit of Joan of of the northern police. 26 When the Dixie Descendants Arc. The effort to discourage the women Tour came to Tennessee in late 1917, by force and brutality culminated on advance teams secured halls for the Are you a descen - Nov. 15, 1917, when the women were women to speak and places for them to dant or do you subjected to what came to be known as stay in five small towns as well as know any descen - the “Night of Terror.” 22 They were Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville and dants of people or Lizzie Crozier dragged, pushed and beaten in their Chattanooga. 27 others who were French cells. Lucy Burns was handcuffed to the involved in Woman cell all night with her arms above her Tennessee Lawyers Worked to Suffrage issues? Check the list of head. Julia Emory showed her empathy Silence the Women names at www.tba.org/sites/default/ by assuming the same position. The next Members of the bar in Tennessee files/SuffrageSidebar_Name_List.doc. day more women joined the hunger asserted that the women’s acts and If so, please contact the Suffrage strike. 23 The merciless, crude force- words were seditious or treason. 28 They Coalition c/o Wanda Sobieski, feeding began. But the deplorable condi - were adamant that the women would [email protected]. The tions, starvation, wormy food, solitary not be allowed to speak. The women coalition has an ongoing project to confinement, beatings and force feedings later described the climate as “an artifi - locate and preserve Tennessee could not kill their spirit. 24 cially created wave of hysteria [that] Suffrage history. Still, as the women were released from seized the state.” 29 To silence the Photo courtesy McClung Historical Digital Collection. 14 | TENNESSEE BAR JOURNAL AUGUST 2015 women, attorneys formed committees reported that they would “probably” opponent of the White House that went to the owners of the halls, deny the use of the streets as well.