SUFFRAGE ACT CREATES INTEREST
IN KNOXVILLE POLITICAL CIRCLES
Views Differ as to Effect on
City Election.
Candidates and Friends of Candidates Concerned.
Some Believe Women May Run
For Mayor and Commissioners; Others Say Not.
How many Knoxville women will
qualify for and participate in the
approaching September municipal
primary and election?
What will be the effect of the
women's vote in the result of the
primary and election?
Can a woman become a candidate
for mayor or commissioner under
the equal suffrage law?
These questions are giving some concern to the candidates, prospective candidates, their friends and the politicians
while the public generally is taking more
than usual interest in the coming city
campaign as a result of the recent legislative act granting women the right
to vote in presidential and municipal
elections.
While there is some question as to the
constitutionality of that section of the
act granting the women suffrage in
presidential elections because no provis-
ion is made for separate ballots or ballot
boxes, it now appears that there will
be no attempt to test the measure out
before the Knoxville municipal primary
of September 6 and the following election of September 20.
None of the candidates is going to
raise a question as to the constitutionality of the act, as one of them said
Sunday afternoon, because if the statute
should be upheld it might go hard with
the candidate who instituted the proceedings.
How Many Will Vote?
There is a wide difference of opinion
among the politicians and the candidates as to the number of women who
will participate in the. election. Some
believe that unless there is some great
issue in the election, which seems improbable, there will not be a large woman vote.
One well known politician said Sun-
day that he did not expect more than
1000 women to take part in either the
primary or election.
On the other hand many of the suf-
frage leaders are predicting that the
woman vote will be almost if not equal
to the male vote, and to uphold their
view point out that 5000 women reg-
istered in Chattanooga in one day last
week in order to participate in the
Greater Chattanooga election which will
be held early in May.
They contend that if such great in-
i terest is manifested in an election where
the only question Is the annexation of
territory to the city that In a Knoxville
city election, when there will probably
be 40 or 50 candidates for mayor and
commissioners, the vote will be much
heavier.
Effect in Doubt.
There is also a great deal of doubt
and difference of opinion among politicians and candidates, as well as their
friends, regarding the effect of the woman vote in the Knoxville election.
Some express the opinion that the result will in all probability be the same
as if ony men voted.
"Unless there is some unusual cause
for difference of opinion the men and
women of a family will vote together,"
declared one leader Sunday. "I believe
they will, in most instances, get together, discuss the various candidates and
their qualifications and then vote as a
unit for those agreed upon. However,
there will be many individual exceptions to this rule, and in expressing
this opinion. I do not mean that the husband and father will control the wife's
and daughter's vote, but that they will
consider the matter around the fireside
and reach some conclusion as to their
intentions. Better conditions will probably result from this."
This view is not shared by others,
however. Some contend that the women
as a whole will be independent voters
and that it is impossible to foresee the
result of their participation in the municipal election this fall.
Qualifications for Office.
Probably the widest difference of opinion regarding the law is as to whether
or not women may become candidates
for mayor and commissioner under its
provisions.
Knoxville attorneys are at variance
on this question, although few have as
yet read the act.
Some declare that the right to vote
carries with it the right to hold office,
while others contend that since the suffrage act limits the right to vote and
withholds full citizenship it does not
grant the privilege of holding office, mu-
[nicipal or otherwise.]
Charles Hays Brown was among the
lawyers interviewed by The Journal and
Tribune Sunday afternoon. He said that
while he had not read the suffrage bill,
he was inclined to the opinion that a
woman could become a candidate and
hold any office for which she has the
right to vote.
Judge Will D. Wright is also of the
opinion that women may run for mayor
and commissioner under the suffrage
act. "I believe the right to vote carries
with it the right to hold office," said
Judge Wright.
Hal H. Clements, chairman of the republican state committee, declared that
while he had not read the act carefully
or looked up the provisions of the city
charter, he believed the intention of the
bill and the Intention of the legislators
was to give the women a right both to
vote and run for office, including president, vice president, elector, mayor and
commissioner.
Taking an opposite view to those ex-
pressed are U. S. District Attorney
Wesley T. Kennerly, Robert D. Taylor
and other Knoxville lawyers.
"I have read the act only hurriedly
and have not referred to the provisions
of the city charter on the subject," said
General Kennerly. "But my opinion
is that only the right to vote and not
the right to hold office is granted by
the statute."
"Not having read the statute, it is
hard to venture an opinion," declared,
Mr. Taylor. "However, as I under-
stand the proposition the law grants
women the right to vote in presidential and municipal elections and does
not grant them full citizenship with men.
Therefore, I am inclined to believe that
they would be ineligible to hold office
under this act."
J. Pike Powers, Jr., city attorney; A.
C. Grimm and General Jameai A. Fow-
ler said that they had not read the act,
and declined to comment on the mat-
ter without investigation.
Many Probable Candidates
While no formal announcements have
been made for city offices, there is a
field full of probable and prospective candidates.
Mayor John E. McMillan is under-
stood to be considering the advisability of seeking re-election and his friends
believe that he will enter the race at
the proper time.
Commissioner James G. Crumbliss
and Sam E. Hill have also been men-
tioned in connection with the mayor's
race, although neither has definitely
made known his intention.
Commisioner Crumbliss says that he
"expects to be a candidate," but it is
understood that, he has not yet determined whether he will enter the lists
for mayor or seek re-election to the
commission.
Former Mayor S. G. Heiskell has also
been repeatedly mentioned as a possible candidate for mayor, but so far
as known has not intimated any intention to run.
Another possible, if not a probable,
candidate for mayor is E. W. Neal, business man and chairman of the Knox
county republican executive committee.
Col. Gary F. Spence, commander of
the famous 117th Infantry throughout
the world war and who ran a strong
race four years ago, has also been boosted for mayor by his friends.
List For Commisioner
Following is as near complete list of
probable and possible candidates for
commissioner, including those who have
merely been mentioned by their friends,
as it has been possible to compile. The
names appear in alphabetical order—no
man can take offense because his name
begins with "Z" instead of "A".
Dr. A. D. Albright, business man and
member of the city board of education.
Hal H. Clements, chairman of the republican state executive cornmitee and
attorney for the Central Labor union,
Creed F. Copeland, insurance man and
recently a Y. M. C. A. secretary in
France.
S. H. Cottrell, justice of the peace
from the third district.
James G. Crumbliss, commisioner of
parks and public property.
Frank Dobson, justice of the peace
from the city-at-large.
Major Charles W. Dyer, recently of
the American expeditionary forces in
France
Captain Ambrose Gaines, recently of
the American expeditionary forces in
France.
Colonel James A. Gleason, recently of
the American expeditionary forces in
France.
Lynn A. Hayes, business man and
former county trustee.
Mitchell E. Henry, business man of
South Knoxville.
Sam E. Hill, commissioner of accounts
and finance.
John A. Jones, deputy United States
marshal.
Fred W. Keith, member of the board
of education and former president of
the Central Labor union.
I. C. King, real estate man and form-
er county register.
