its action was later copied by a number of other
States. Kansas in 1887 even granted women unlimited rights to vote in
municipal elections. Not until 1869, however, when Wyoming, as a
territory, accorded women suffrage on terms of equality with men and
continued to grant such privileges after its admission as a State in
1890, did these advocates register a notable victory. Progress
thereafter proved discouraging, only ten additional other States having
been added to the fold as of 1914; and as a consequence sponsors of
equal voting rights for women concentrated on obtaining ratification of
this amendment.

Validity of Adoption

Cases relating to this question are presented and discussed under
article V.

Effect of Amendment

Although owning that the Nineteenth Amendment "applies to men and women
alike and by its own force supersedes inconsistent measures, whether
federal or State," the Court was unable to concede that a Georgia
statute levying on inhabitants of the State a poll tax payment of which
is made a prerequisite for voting but exempting females who do not
register for voting, in any way abridged the right of male citizens to
vote on account of their sex. To accept the appellant's contention, the
Court urged, would make the Nineteenth Amendment a limitation on the
taxing power.[1]

Notes

[1] Breedlove _v._ Suttles, 302 U.S. 277, 283-284 (1937). Although other
interpretive decisions of federal courts are unavailable, many State
courts, taking their cue from pronouncements of the Supreme Court as to
the operative effect of the similarly phrased Fifteenth Amendment, have
proclaimed that the Nineteenth Amendment did not confer upon women the
right to vote but only prohibits discrimination against them in the
drafting and administration of laws relating to suffrage qualifications
and the conduct of elections. Like the Fifteenth Amendment, the
Nineteenth Amendment, according to these State tribunals, is
self-executing and by its own force and effect legally expunged the
word, "male," and the masculine pronoun from State constitutions and
laws defining voting qualifications and the right to vote to the end
that such provisions now apply to both sexes.--_See_ State _v._ Mittle,
120 S.C. 526 (1922); writ of error dismissed, 260 U.S. 705 (1922);
Graves _v._ Eubank, 205 Ala. 174 (1921); in re Cavellier, 159 Misc.
(N.Y.) 212; 287 N.Y.S. 739 (1936).

AMENDMENT 20

COMMENCEMENT OF THE TERMS OF THE PRE