Page:History of Woman Suffrage Volume 6.djvu/518

 5O2 HISTORY OF WOMAN SUFFRAGE Candis Nelson, Mr. McDonald; Promotion, Mrs. C. F. Amidon. Steps were taken to affiliate with the National American Woman Suffrage Association and it was decided to introduce a resolution for the submission of a State suffrage amendment to the voters at the next session of the Legislature. Mrs. de Lendrecie gave headquarters in the de Lendrecie Building at Fargo. The first convention was held at the Civic Center, Fargo, Oct. 1 8, 1913. The Promotions Committee reported the circulariza- tion of the entire press and the legislators and a number of towns organized. A woman suffrage bill had been passed by the Legislature and would be submitted to the voters on Nov. 4, 1914. With the following State officers the campaign was launched : Mrs. Darrow, president ; Mrs. Weible, vice-president ; Mrs. Emma S. Pierce, treasurer; Mrs. Francis S. Bolley, con- gressional chairman; Mrs. Elizabeth Darrow O'Neil, campaign manager. A plan to divide the State into its judicial districts with dis- trict, county and township chairmen was only partially carried out. One hundred leagues were formed with approximately 2,000 members. Wherever there was an efficient worker she was given a free hand to get the votes in her locality in the most effective way. From four to six organizers were in the field continually; seven speakers, including Dr. Anna Howard Shaw, its president, were sent by the National Association and five were furnished by the State. Chautauquas, fairs, theaters and all kinds of meetings were everywhere utilized and there were automobile speaking tours to outlying districts ; plate matter was furnished to the press and political party members were circu- larized. A fund of $6,000 was raised, $3,000 of which came from the National Association and other outside sources. It was a hard and hopeless campaign because of an impossible requirement. When the framers of the constitution for state- hood in 1889 refused to include woman suffrage a provision was put in the constitution whereby the Legislature at any time could submit a bill for it at the next general election. If approved by a majority of voters "voting upon the question" it became a Law. How, when or where the words "voting at the elec- tion" were substituted for "voting upon the question" no one