The Suffragist, vol. 5, no. 54, January 10, 1917, p. 5

Boxes

t h y worn o west and est and made the formation of a Woman's Party pledged to put suffrage first the logical outcome if President Wilson ed to respond to the united voice of the disfranchised east and the enfranchised west. At this conference the teps were taken in organizing the ho whole of the suffrage territory under (.

Welcoming Envoys on Return to National Capital

were chosen, one for the inland suffrage states and one for the Pacific Coast states, with the task of promoting the organization in these respective

Resolutions from Women Voters Presented to Congress

RESOLUTION demanding action was car- A ried to Washington from the conference and presented to Congress, May 16, by three voting women, Mrs. C. S. Haire of Montana, Mrs. Wallace Williams of Washington State, and Miss Alice L. Reynolds of Utah, who accompanied the “Suffrage Special" on its return to Washington.

Few who witnessed the return of the suffragists who had made this unique journey will forget that dramatic welcome home from the crowds that gathered on the Capitol steps on the beautiful afternoon in May, to hail their presence.

Great crowds greeted the travelers at the station. The mass of people was punctuated by the purple, white and gold colors of the Union. Following the formal luncheon of welcome at the station, the party proceeded to the Rotunda of the Capitol, followed by as much of the crowd as could wedge in. For the first time in history a great suffrage ceremony was held within the Capitol. With many members of Congress present, including nearly all of the Representatives of the suffrage states, the resolutions demanding action on suffrage were presented to Representatives Mondell of Wyoming and Raker of California and Senator Sutherland of Utah, who had introduced the suffrage amendment in the House and Senate. Congress had been formally served notice concerning the sentiment of the voting west.

Roosevelt Declares in Favor of National Amendment HILE the “Suffrage Special" was flying W through the west arousing ever increasing

sentiment among the voting women for the federal amendment, its effect and the effect of other methods of visualizing the voting power of women began to be apparent in the changed attitude of political leaders of the east. The first to register his support of the national amendment was Colonel Roosevelt. In response to a deputation from the Congressional Union, Colonel Roosevelt pledged his support, April 28th to the Susan B. Anthony amendment. This action marked an era, indicating that national woman suffrage was at last on the political map.

Woman's Party Formed

HE formation of the National Woman's Party in Chicago, June 5, 6 and 7, was perhaps the most historic event of the year.

Thousands of women from every part of the country came to Chicago to attend this first political convention ever called by women. It was at this brilliant gathering, animated by many of the notable women of the country, that the definite policy of the Congressional Union,—holding the party in power responsible for the status of the suffrage amendment,—decided the action of the suffrage states in regard to suffrage. After a three day session there was launched in the political arena a full fledged woman's political party ready to take its part in the coming Autumn elections if by that time the suffrage amendment had not been passed by Congress.

Suffrage in Platforms of Political Partics

HE mobilization of the women voters as T indicated in the organization of branches of the Congressional Union in all of the suffrage states; as revealed by the trip of the “Suffrage Special;" and finally as demonstrated most dramatically by the formation of the Woman's Party, challenged the attention of all political parties then holding their national conventions. These conventions were systematically covered by lobbies of the Congressional Union and the nmewly formed Woman's Party, who urged upon the leaders the wisdom of action on suffrage at Washington. They did not ask for planks in platforms, but for immediate action in Congress.

The Progressive Convention and later the Prohibition Convention declared specifically for the national suffrage amendment,—the first time such a stand had ever been taken by a national political party. The agitation for immediate action finally brought even the politicians of the two majority parties, the Republican and Democratic, to volunteer, for the first time in suffrage history, a recognition of the suffrage principle. A glimmer of the truth as to the power of women that later, during the campaign, was to become a glare, had already reached many of the political leaders.

The whole history of the work of the Congressional Union lobby at the Democratic Convention in St. Louis; the gradual dawning on the consciousness of Democratic politicians that the “lost cause" they had never regarded seriously, had usurped a place in their party councils because of the determined attitude of the voting west, had its humorous side. The Democratic suffrage plank was the crutch that Democracy conceded to the western Congressman and the national ticket to help them through the coming campaign.

The National Socialist Party later followed suit by giving its support to the national suffrage amendment.