Three newspapers from the Butler Eagle dealing with suffrage were selected for Headline in History excerpts.

DATELINE: Aug. 18, 1920

Butler Women Anxious to vote

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Suffrage workers here jubilant over ratification by Tennessee

Suffrage has come!

Tennessee, the thirty-sixth state, the battleground for the enfranchisement of women in the United States ratified the amendment to the constitution this afternoon.

The result was not a surprise, but yet it took many leading suffrage workers in Butler from their feet and tongue-tied them for words. Some of the women prominent in the past in the interest of securing the equal rights for women expressed themselves as follows:

Miss Gertrude McKinney, President of the League of Women Citizens -- “We have thought all along that the conditions in the county needed the women vote in the presidential election this fall, and we will be happy to exercise our rights. There are 400 members in the county of the League of Women Citizens who will rejoice upon receiving word of its ratification. Indeed, we are delighted over the prospects.”

Mrs. John H. Troutman, 446 North Main street -- “I am very glad to hear the good news. I certainly shall vote. Several years ago I had desire to vote, but times have changed. I believe that there are many women who are much more intelligent than many of the men voters.”

Mrs. P.W. Lowry, 460 N. Bluff street -- “I am interested, of course, but not radically. I haven’t thought much about it, but I shall vote.”

Mrs. Mary Howard, 342 North Main street -- “I believe that women should be given anything they desire, but personally I am not in favor of voting, but I shall do everything to help along.”

Mrs. D.L. Cleeland, 202 First street -- “I knew it was coming and I will vote if I am of age.”

Mrs. Levi M. Wise, 343 N. Main St. -- “I am exceedingly gratified that this country is now a real democracy. I shall miss no opportunity to vote and work for the best man for every political office.”

People’s victory, says suffragist

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(By United Press)

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 18 -- Commenting on the suffrage victory, Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt, president of the National Woman’s Suffrage Association, who directed the fight for suffrage here says today:

“For the country and the world, this victory means this government, which purports to be ‘by the people,’ is indeed by the people and not half of them.

“For women the suffrage victory means opportunity for more work and responsibility. It is too believed to come with a shock of surprise. We have been ready for it. We are ready for the work that lies ahead.”

Ratification by 36th state makes amendment a law ———

Victorious conclusion to long fight for equal suffrage in United States comes today - Speaker Walker changes his vote on measure making final total 50 to 46.

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NASHVILLE, Aug. 18 - (United Press) - Women suffrage became part of the basic law of the United States today when the Tennessee legislature ratified the Susan B. Anthony amendment.

The Tennessee House passed the ratification resolution which had already been adopted by the senate.

Tennessee was the 36th state to ratify, thus completing the ratification and putting the amendment into the constitution, bringing to a victorious conclusion the long fight that got equal suffrage in the United States.

The vote was 50 to 46.

Wed. Aug. 25, 1920

All women voters of Butler County must pay 45 cents

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Commissioners fix $75 as assessment for women regardless of occupation.

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Pay tax 30 days before election

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Method of Voting in County Differs from that Within the City of Butler.

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All wrinkles in the methods adopted by which the women of Butler county shall vote at the presidential election, November 2nd, have been smoothed out by the county commissioners and legal counsel. Definite information has been given out that instructs the new voters of the county in the proper way to go about the casting of their initial ballot.

The commissioners have decided on a valuation assessment of $75 for every woman in Butler county, regardless of occupation. The tax will be leveled from this assessment, making a tax to be paid by all women in Butler county of 45 cents.

For a woman living outside of the city of Butler, she must do the following in order to cast a ballot at the election:

Rules to vote

The regulations published in Aug. 25, 1920 have been condensed down:

County Regulations

Women outside the city of Butler needed to go to their polling place on either Aug. 31 or Sept. 1 and be assessed $75 by the assessor for which there would be a 45 cent tax. The assessor would then register their name, address and precinct into the poll book. They would then need to pay the tax collector in their township or borough the 45 cent tax and receive a receipt. The receipt would be produced when they ask for their ballot on election day. The tax had to be paid at least 30 days before the election on Nov. 2.

City Regulations

Women living in the city needed to go to the courthouse on either Aug. 30 or 31 or Sept. 1 to be assessed. The women would go to the assessor from the ward where they live. The assessor would assess them $75 and give them a slip of paper saying there would be a 45 cent tax on the assessment. The women would take this slip to the tax collector, and pay the 45 cent tax and receive a receipt. The tax needed to be paid immediately. To register to vote, the women would have to bring the receipt to the registrars to their polling place on either Sept. 2, Sept. 14 or Oct. 2. They would tell the registrar their name and address and be entered into the poll book. To vote, the women would go to the same polling place where they registered and ask for a ballot. After giving their name and address to the men at the polling place, the women would be given a ballot and enter a voting booth, where they could mark an X after the name of the man they wished to vote for.

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Tues. Aug. 24, 1920

Cardinal Gibbons regrets victory of 19th Amendment

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(By United Press)

BALTIMORE, Md., Aug. 24 — Cardinal Gibbons, in an interview today, expressed the opinion that “after the first election or so, only a small percentage of the women of the country will avail themselves of the privilege of voting.”

“I regret that women have taken the plunge into the deep,” the Cardinal said. “I would much prefer that things had remained as they were.”

Asked what effect he believed the moral effect of equal suffrage would be, the Cardinal, who has been one of the chief opponents of women’s voting, replied that “it would be difficult to say at this time.”