Harry T. Burn was the given name of this first-term legislator credited with breaking the tie that won 27 million women the right to vote in 1920. But as speaker Mary Moe told Rotarians last week, his nickname was "Baby Burn." Whether that was because of his age - 26 -- or his youthful appearance, she could not say. What she did say is that, at best, he should share that credit, and therein lay her tale.
In order for the 19th Amendment, granting women suffrage, to become part of the Constitution, after the U.S. Senate and House approved it, legislatures in 3/4 of the state had to ratify it. In 1920, that amounted to 36 states, and the suffragists were having a devil of a time finding that 36th state. It ended up being Tennessee 101 years ago this month.
This week 101 years ago, Nashville was packed with legislators, lobbyists and women both opposing and supporting the amendment. The attempts to sway legislators were intense - and not always above board. But on August 18, 1920, the vote finally came to the floor of the Tennessee House of Representatives. Seth Walker, the Speaker of the House and an opponent of the amendment, handed the gavel over to a whip and joined in the floor debate. He moved to table the bill, effectively killing it.
There were 99 representatives in the House, but only 96 were in attendance. As the role was called alphabetically, Walker was anticipating a 49-47 vote to table the bill. He wasn't concerned when his friend Banks Turner did not vote. After all, 48-47 would still get the job one. But as the vote was being tallied, Turner rose and with a faltering voice announced his wish to be recorded as a "Nay."
Walker quickly called for a revote, and while the clerk went through the alphabet again, he approached Turner and attempted to persuade him either to remain silent or to change his vote so that this suffrage stuff could be ended once and for all. But when Turner's name was called, he voted "Nay" again. The motion to table failed 48-48.
Walker figured that if a tie could destroy a motion to table, it would also destroy a motion to pass the 19th Amendment, so he made that motion, even though he personally opposed it. That's when Baby Burn entered the picture. The lobbyists weren't sure what his vote would be. He wore a red rose (the color of the antis) into the chambers and he voted to table the bill. But in his pocket he had a letter from his mother, urging him to "be a good boy" and support women's right to vote. When his name was called - the 7th alphabetically - quietly voted "Aye." The gallery was silent. Had they heard him right? More importantly, would Banks Turner vote "Aye"?
The answer to both questions was "Yes." The 19th Amendment was passed, 49-47. Actually, it was 50-47 because Seth Walker, hoping to buy time to change minds with a motion to reconsider, switched his vote to "Aye" so that he could make that motion. But his efforts to shift votes over the weekend were futile. Moreover, by becoming the 50th vote that would be a majority even if all 99 representatives had been in attendance, he had eliminated the best argument for a court challenge.
Today, a large sculpture of Baby Burn and his mother Febb can be found in Nashville, extolling their role in ratifying the 19th Amendment. If you google Seth Walker, you're more likely to learn about a present-day musician than the Speaker of the House a century ago. As for Banks Turner, like Seth Walker his 1920 term was his first and last. Neither his obituary nor his tombstone makes any mention of the pivotal role he played in winning women the right to vote. Sic transit gloria mundi.
