Women's Vote Loses in House, March 7, 1919

From The Monroe Journal, March 7, 1919

Suffrage Loses in the House

Under the most dramatic circumstances obtaining in either branch of the General Assembly during the present session, the house Wednesday night defeated Senator Brown’s bill to extend municipal suffrage to women by a vote of 54 to 49.

The debate on the bill was, without question, the most eloquent heard in the house this year. The fight for the measure was led by Representative W.N. Everett, while Harry P. Grier of Rockingham led the fight against.

It was impossible to ascertain last night whether or not this marks the end of the fight for suffrage legislation at this session. There is now pending in the senate the Connor bill to submit a constitutional amendment at the next general election and several voting against the municipal rights bill indicted favor for a bill like the Connor measure. This was scheduled to come up in the senate yesterday and there is yet time for it to be enacted before the General Assembly adjourns.

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From the editorial page of The Monroe Journal, March 7, 1919

Nay, Nay, Pauline

Not this year will the ladies walk up to the ballot box and deposit the snowy flakes which express their preferences as to those who shall hold the town offices in North Carolina. A few days ago we were of the opinion that the ladies of Monroe would have this privilege in the spring election. But not so. The House of Representatives said nay. The fiat was issued by that body on Wednesday night. Already the Senate had passed the bill and many people felt sure that the House would follow suit and thereby the women be allowed to vote in town elections throughout the State, this being the only way that the legislature could grant the right to vote at all in the State. The vote in the House was 49 for and 54 against. Representative Redwine voted against the bill and Representative Griffin for it. In the Senate, Mr. Price voted for it. Mr. Redwine spoke against the bill and made one of the most impressive speeches. 

But the speech making, long and earnest as it was on both sides, had nothing to do with the result. It changed no votes. The intense work of town politicians, combined with the well known general objections to woman suffrage by men of considerable influence, did the work. Nobody will now take any interest in the proposition for an amendment to the State constitution allowing women to vote, for it is generally understood that the constitution of the United States will be amended on this subject before that of North Carolina can be.