Page:History of Woman Suffrage Volume 6.djvu/109

 suffrage. It was the representatives of these men who eventually blocked ratification in the House and it was their two leaders, Daniel Layton, chairman of the State Central Committee, and former Governor Simeon S. Pennewell, whose influence caused much of the opposition. Governor Townsend, who aimed to raise Delaware from thirty-second place in educational ranks by the new code had aroused the personal antagonism of some of the leaders, but when it became apparent that Delaware was vitally needed to complete ratification he laid aside his fears that the code would be repealed and called a special session.

Suffrage mass meetings were held in all parts of the State and the week before the Legislature met Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt, addressed large audiences in Wilmington and Dover. The Ratification Committee appealed for more help and Miss Marjorie Shuler, national director of field publicity, was sent and later Miss Betsy Edwards for political work. When the special session opened not one of the three daily papers was supporting ratification, public meetings were being held by the "antis," their publicity was being sent broadcast to the metropolitan press of the country and the impression was created that the whole State Was opposed to ratifying. To counteract this situation required weeks of hard work by the suffragists. Outside correspondents were secured who would send out the true story of the political intrigue underlying the failure to ratify. The Wilmington Morning News, under the ownership of Alfred I. du Pont, came out for ratification and made a strong fight for it to the end.

In his message to the two Houses in joint session the Governor said: "Woman suffrage has been a subject of public discussion for over half a century. It is not an agitation of the moment, it is a world wide question of right and wrong. Your supreme duty is to think and act for the good of your State and nation." Separate resolutions were introduced in Senate and House, the former by a Republican, John M. Walker of Hockessin, the latter by Walter E. Hart, Democrat, of Townsend, the only one of eleven Democrats in the House who favored it.

On March 25 there was a hearing before the General Assembly. The opponents had rushed into town every farmer and small politician they could secure and the women "antis" pinned