Page:History of Woman Suffrage Volume 6.djvu/509

 NORTH CAROLINA 493 leigh, Jan. 10, 1919, Miss Gertrude Weil was elected president and Mrs. Josephus Daniels honorary president. The chief speaker was the Hon. William Jennings Bryan, who addressed in the city auditorium an immense gathering of all classes. The past year had been a busy one. On April 9, 1918, the State Republican convention included a suffrage plank in its platform. On the loth representative suffragists appeared at the Demo- cratic State convention urging one but the plea fell upon dull ears and unresponsive hearts. The latter part of May the State Federation of Women's Clubs with 8,000 members endorsed equal suffrage with but two dissenting votes. In June the State Trained Nurses Association unanimously endorsed it. During September petitions signed by hundreds of college students and letters and telegrams representing hundreds of individuals were dispatched to U. S. Senators Simmons and Overman in Wash- ington urging them to vote for the Federal Suffrage Amendment On the petition from one college the names represented 107 cities and towns in the State. The one from the State Normal College carried the signatures of 576 out of the 650 women students. The petition of citizens from Raleigh bore the names of two daughters of Senator Simmons. The Senators were not moved. In all that memorable struggle only one North Carolina Repre- sentative, Zebulon Weaver, a Democrat of Asheville, voted "aye." Kdwin ('. Webb of Cleveland county, as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, was a powerful foe. Attempts were made to form suffrage leagues in different women's colleges, where the students were eager to be organized, but in no case would the trustees permit it. In November the League telegraphed President Wilson urging the appoint- ment of Mrs. Carrie Chapman C'att, national president, on the C Commission. In December the Farmers' Union, repre- senting 17,000 farmers, endorsed equal suffrage. During the year the cause was advanced by the addresses of Dr. Shaw and Jeannette Rankin, the first woman Representative in Con- At this time the State League carried on its letterhead an Advisory Committee of Men such as never had been formed v other State. The list of ninety-six names included Sec- v of the Navy Josephus Daniels, Mr. Bryan, Chief Justice