Mrs. Dudley soon came to be known nationally. She spoke on the Federal Amendment at the luncheon of four hundred given to the incoming members at the Congress Hotel in Washington; addressed congressional committee hearings, and in December she joined the "lobby" at the national suffrage headquarters in Washington to interview southern Senators and Representatives. The State convention was held in Nashville, Jan. 30, 31, 1917. Mrs. Dudley was unanimously re-elected and served until her election to the board of the National Association in December. At this convention Mrs. Kenny was elected chairman of publicity and under her direction special suffrage editions of newspapers were published in the principal towns and cities and copies mailed to every voter. The plate matter sent out by the national press committee was widely distributed.
Mrs. Leslie Warner was elected president in 1918, and at the State convention held in Nashville in June, 1919, Mrs. George Fort Milton succeeded her. During her seven years of suffrage activity Mrs. Milton had rendered valuable service in various official positions. It was while this convention was in session that the news came of the submission of the Federal Suffrage Amendment by Congress and there was a demonstration of joy. In the evening a brilliant public banquet took place at the Tulane Hotel. The convention extended its official board to include a chairman from each congressional district, for the ratification campaign. Three weeks later the board held a meeting at Lookout Mountain, formulated plans for organizing the districts politically and pledged the largest amount of money for State work in the history of the association.
Legislative Work. In 1915 Mrs. L. Crozier French, State president, appointed Mrs. Guilford Dudley, president of the Nashville League, legislative chairman to sponsor a resolution for a woman suffrage amendment to the State constitution. The members of the lobby committee were Mrs. Kenny, Mrs. Kimbrough, Mrs. W. G. Spencer, Mrs. Reau E. Folk, Mrs. Ittie K. Reno, Mrs. Victoria James Roach and Mrs. A. Y. Scott. To amend the constitution it is necessary to obtain a majority in the first Legislature and a two-thirds majority in the succeeding one before the question is submitted to the voters. In January when the House committee met to report on the amendment it was opposed almost to a man. Mrs. Dudley with all her committee back of her made an eloquent appeal for justice and fair play, urging them at least to permit the House to vote on the measure. When she finished not a man raised his voice against it. The House adjourned to permit Mrs. Dudley and Mrs. Scott to speak to the members and the final roll call registered only fourteen noes. It passed the Senate with only three dissenting votes. The leagues all over the State had brought strong pressure to bear upon their representatives. In 1917 it was replaced by the Presidential suffrage bill.
On May 17 a conference was held at Tullahoma, where the Campaign Committee was formed. Two joint-chairmen headed the executive committee, Mrs. Kenny and Mrs. Henry J. Kelso of Knoxville, with Mrs. Scott vice-chairman. On the resignation of Mrs. Kelso, Mrs. Milton was elected in her place.[166] Miss Elizabeth Breen, executive secretary, gave untiring and efficient service. Headquarters were opened in Nashville. This Campaign Committee was the trail-blazer. Although in operation only seven months it organized thirty-two leagues; enrolled 9,600 names; printed and distributed 75,000 pieces of literature and expended on organization work over $4,000. State-wide publicity was gained; the workers received valuable training in organizing and public speaking and it was a harmonizing force.
It was difficult to enlist Tennessee suffragists in street speaking, not that they had not the courage of their faith but they feared to violate the conservative traditions of their southland. After seeing its wonderful effect during the national suffrage convention in Atlantic City in 1916 a few of the bold-hearted summoned courage and the first attempt was made in Jackson and Memphis in 1917 by Mrs. Kimbrough, Mrs. Kenny, Mrs. Jackson, Mrs. Reno and Miss White. At the State Fair in Nashville in 1918 the Campaign Committee took charge of the open air meetings, these women speaking eight or ten times each day, and they were rewarded by the great number of enrollment cards signed by those who received the message favorably.
In 1917 the legislative campaign was conducted under the friendly administration of a Democratic Governor, Tom C. Rye, and under the direction of Mrs. Dudley, State president, and Mrs. Ezzell, legislative chairman. Before direct plans had been made, advices came from the National Association to concentrate on a Presidential and Municipal suffrage bill similar to that passed in Illinois in 1913. This was agreed upon and General G. T. Fitzhugh of Memphis drew up the bill. His services were of great value to suffrage interests because both as a citizen and a member of the bar he was held in the highest esteem. From this time until the State Supreme Court decision of 1919 removed the last barrier to this bill he was a valued friend and adviser, and was associate counsel in the last legal battle on ratification from the Chancery to the Supreme Court—all without financial remuneration.
This Presidential and Municipal suffrage bill was one of the first introduced, sponsored in the House by Speaker Clyde Shropshire and in the Senate by C. W. Rocks of Humboldt, and its progress was watched with great interest. Petitions were sent to the members from all parts of the State. The Memphis and Nashville members were solid for it from the beginning with one exception—Senator John M. Thompson, a violent "anti" from Nashville. Both suffragists and "antis" were invited to speak before the House Judiciary Committee and both accepted, but after two postponements through courtesy the "antis" did not put in an appearance and the suffragists alone were heard. General Fitzhugh came to speak for the bill. There had been much discussion as to its validity without the insertion of a poll tax clause and it was in jeopardy. An appeal was made to a friend whose legal advice and services the suffragists had always had for the asking—General Charles T. Cates, Jr., Attorney General, who came from his home in Knoxville to construe for the committee some of the perplexing phases and the committee unanimously recommended the bill.
When it came to a vote in the House women from all sections of the State were present. Among the most untiring workers were George Fort Milton, editor of the Chattanooga News, and Mrs. Milton; Miss Margaret Ervin of Chattanooga; Mrs. Isaac Reese, Mrs. Harry Anderson and Mrs. Scott of Memphis; Miss White, Mrs. Kimbrough and Mrs. Kenny. Many members of the Nashville League served at frequent critical times. The vote in the House was 59 ayes, 25 noes, on Jan. 19, 1917, Lee's birthday, an anniversary celebrated throughout the South, and it was fittingly referred to by some of the members as an appropriate occasion for Southern men to give justice to women. Following its passage the Hon. William Jennings Bryan, who was in Nashville, was invited to address the Legislature and spoke strongly in favor of it. Mrs. Bryan accompanied him and at a luncheon given in her honor at the Hermitage Hotel, attended by members of the Legislature and over two hundred guests, she made an eloquent plea for suffrage and Mr. Bryan spoke again.
While this bill was pending in the Senate the newspapers throughout the State were giving much more publicity to woman suffrage than they had ever done before. Many of the county papers favored it and published matter sent them. The Labor World gave continuous support. Some of the best suffragists were newspaper women and they gave freely of their time and talents. The excellent service of Mrs. W. A. Overall is recalled; though not a "professional" her clear, logical articles impressed impartial readers. Of the large daily papers the Knoxville Sentinel and the Commercial Appeal and News Scimitar of Memphis were favorable. The Jackson Daily Sun and the Nashville Banner were opposed. The Chattanooga News was an ardent advocate, while the Chattanooga Times, under the control of the New York Times, was strongly opposed. The Nashville Tennesseean was regarded as the official organ of the suffragists. Its owner, former U. S. Senator Luke Lea, while in the Senate in 1913 had been one of three southern Senators to vote for the Federal Amendment. Throughout the campaign he was ready at all times to help in every way possible, ignoring his personal political interests. This was true of U. S. Senator McKellar and Governor Rye.
When the first canvass of the Senate was made the sentiment was about as follows: For the bill 11; unalterably opposed, 7; uncertain, 15. The classification "uncertain" was most appropriate, for fifteen more uncertain men were never encountered. When assured that the measure could safely be brought to vote it would be discovered that changes had occurred over night which would mean defeat. The "antis" worked through a hastily organized local society at Nashville, which was inspired by Judge John J. Vertrees, a prominent lawyer of that city. A Charles McLean of Iowa, who had been used by the opponents in other State suffrage campaigns, made two or three visits to Nashville during the session. The State suffrage convention in this city a few days before the bill came to a vote in the Senate was the largest ever held and many delegates remained for the vote.