Page:History of Woman Suffrage Volume 6.djvu/520

 504 HISTORY OF WOMAN SUFFRAGE Fraine at the June primaries because they were responsible for the unfair treatment of the suffrage resolution in the Legislature and both were defeated. The annual convention was held Oct. 13, 1916, at Valley City, the National Association sending as a representative its first vice-president, Mrs. Walter McNab Miller of Missouri. It was planned to organize the State on the lines of its three Congres- sional districts, which made a smaller executive board and facili- tated its meetings. The following officers were elected : Presi- dent, Mrs. Clendening; treasurer and press chairman, Mrs. Pierce; national and first congressional district chairman, Mrs. O'Neil ; educational and second district chairman, Mrs. Charles Rathman ; third district chairman, Mrs. Emma Murray; legisla- tive chairman, Mrs. Weible; publicity chairman, Miss Aldyth Ward. An active campaign was started to influence legislators for a Presidential and Municipal suffrage bill and a constitu- tional amendment. The National Association sent two organ- izers to tour the State, arouse interest and raise money. In February, 1917, one-fifth of the newspapers of the State, repre- senting four-fifths of the counties, published suffrage editions, and in May a 6o-page suffrage edition of a Labor magazine was edited and 5,000 copies distributed. In April the headquarters were largely used for war work. The annual convention was held at Bismarck Sept. 25-26, 1917. The Presidential and Municipal suffrage bills having passed both Houses and become law the convention decided to concentrate on the Federal Suffrage Amendment. An emer- gency executive committee of Fargo women was elected to co- operate from the State headquarters without delay in carrying out instructions from the National Association. The following resolution was adopted : "The North Dakota Votes for Women League, reaffirming its steadfast loyalty and support to our President and our Government, will continue to carry on the patriotic work assigned us by the Government through our Na- tional Association, and will redouble our efforts to gain enfran- chisement for the women of the United States in order that we may do more effective war work." Mrs. Clendening, who was State president from 1915 to 1920, was now also vice-president