1917. The amendment resolution was introduced by Senator J. L. Sherard and Representative A. E. Horton. After an exciting debate lasting for three days the Senate bill came to a vote, receiving 25 ayes; 19 noes. In the House the bill was reported and placed early on the calendar for the next year.
1918. Mr. Horton, House leader, was requested by the league to withdraw the resolution and state that as President Wilson had declared himself in favor of the Federal Suffrage Amendment and had requested members of Congress to vote for its submission the league would concentrate on this amendment. After the vote in favor by the U. S. House of Representatives letters and telegrams were sent by leagues and individuals all over the State requesting the Senators to vote for it. Both voted against it but with the election of William P. Pollock the suffragists were encouraged. The amendment was submitted to the Legislatures June 4, 1919.
Ratification. On January 14, 1920, Senator Neils Christensen introduced a joint resolution to ratify the proposed Federal Suffrage Amendment, which was referred to the Judiciary Committee. On the 23rd it was reported unfavorably; on motion of Senator Christensen the report was laid on the table; on the 28th the resolution went to a vote and received 32 noes, four ayes—Christensen, Duncan, Shelor and Walker. In the House on January 21 Representatives Bradford and Hart introduced a concurrent resolution to reject the proposed amendment; on the 22nd a motion to refer it to the Judiciary Committee was defeated by a vote of 85 to 26. The debate on the resolution to reject extended into the afternoon and the vote resulted in 93 ayes, 20 noes. Even members who were opposed to ratification made strong speeches for justice and denounced this unprecedented action of voting for a measure before it had been referred to a committee or placed on the calendar.
FOOTNOTES:
[162] The History is indebted for this chapter to Mrs. W. C. Cathcart, member of the State Board of Public Welfare and chairman of the Legislative Committee of the State Equal Suffrage League for six years.
CHAPTER XL.
SOUTH DAKOTA.[163]
Here beginneth the last chapter of the history of woman suffrage in South Dakota. At the time this is written (1920) women have the same rights, privileges and duties politically as men except that they do not serve on juries but the law will undoubtedly be amended to permit them to do so if there is any demand for it. For many years the suffrage work was conducted by the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, its officers acting for the suffrage societies and its legislative committees doing the lobbying. The activities of the two organizations are so interwoven until 1909 that the history of the W. C. T. U. is practically the history of woman suffrage. The suffrage association was inactive after the last defeat in 1898 until 1901. In that year a State Political Equality Association was organized with Mrs. Alice M. A. Pickler of Faulkton president and Mrs. Philena Everett Johnson of Highmore vice-president. She was the mother of Royal C. Johnson, now in Congress.