The Woman's Hour

After a tense weekend of waiting, the House reconvenes, feeling the enormity of the stakes:

On Monday morning, the mood in Nashville was volatile, even violent. This was the suffrage Armageddon, as both sides considered the impending clash as a defining battle between good and evil, a struggle for the soul of Tennessee and the heart of the nation (278).

The Tennessee Suffs have managed to find a replica of the cracked Philadelphia Liberty Bell and placed it in the House chamber. They anticipate ringing it when the amendment is ratified. Catt finds herself wondering when that day will come, if ever.

Private interest groups resort to blackmail, bribery, and threats of physical violence to turn Suff votes while everyone waits tensely for the amendment to come out of committee. The vote to recommend is too close for comfort—10 to 8. The Suffs remain worried about their chances as Walker crows that the amendment is finished even before Tuesday’s floor vote.

The next morning, the House engages in several hours of Suff and Anti speeches. Then, Walker calls for a postponement of the full vote until Wednesday. The Suffs fear this delay will erode their support even further.