n would be taken.
During the first days of the session, however, the resolution to
ratify was introduced in the House by Representative J. B. Jackson of
Jones county and in the Senate by Senator T. H. Parker of Colquitt
county, both of whom explained that their action was taken in order to
kill it. The resolution was referred in both Houses to the Committees
on Constitutional Amendments and a joint hearing was set for an early
date.

The suffragists had more friends and stronger ones on the House
Committee than the "antis" and more than they had realized. All they
asked was that the resolution be tabled, not reported favorably, for
they knew that defeat on the floor of the House was certain. One of
their strongest supporters, Judge W. A. Covington of Colquitt county,
was detained at home by illness in his family and telegraphed the
chairman of the House Committee, John W. Bale of Floyd county, asking
that the hearing be postponed a few days so that he might be present.
This courtesy, commonly extended without question, was refused by Mr.
Bale. Immediately on the opening of the hearing Mr. Jackson asked to
substitute for his original resolution one which explicitly rejected
ratification. By permission of the chairman this substitute was
accepted. After the hearing, at which Miss Rutherford alone appeared
in opposition while seven women spoke for it, the committee went into
executive session. On a motion to postpone action the vote was 13 to
13, and the chairman cast his vote against it. During the executive
session Robert T. DuBose of Clarke county became ill and asked if he
might cast his vote ahead of time and leave. Permission was granted
him and he wrote on a slip of paper a vote for postponing action. When
the final vote was taken Mr. Bale ruled that Mr. DuBose's vote could
not be counted. If it had been the suffragists would have carried
their point by a vote of 14 to 13. After the motion to postpone was
lost the Jackson resolution to reject was reported favorably.

The Senate Committee acted in open session. After prolonged debate the
Parker resolution to ratify was reported unfavorably by a vote of 10
to 3, and the next day it came before the Senate. The opponents
believed they could make short work of it or they would not have
permitted it to come up. By a vote of 37 to 12 the Senate refused to
disagree to the committee report. In order to dispose of the
resolution, however, it was necessary to agree to the re