ces 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
persona