Page:History of Woman Suffrage Volume 6.djvu/628

 6l2 HISTORY OF WOMAN SUFFRAGE and three policemen with the patrol wagon "arrested" it. The women secured the release of the culprit and through the courtesy of E. A. Abbott, a merchant, it was placed over the front of his store and there it hung for several weeks. On June 13 it was taken to the National Democratic convention at St. Louis, where it gave its silent message hanging on the wall of the lobby of the hotel in which the Tennessee delegation had head- quarters. Mrs. Dudley and Mrs. Ford addressed the Tennessee delegates to the convention urging them to vote for the woman suffrage plank, which they did unanimously. Mrs. Catt held a successful congressional conference in Mem- phis, spoke at several large meetings and the biggest automobile parade ever seen in the city added to the occasion. 1 Federal Amendment Day was celebrated in twenty-six cities and thou- sands of leaflets were distributed. In October the legislative chairman wrote to all candidates for Congress asking their posi- tion on suffrage and eight declared in favor. In November those elected were interviewed and banquets, luncheons and receptions given them on the eve of their leaving for Washington. In order to unite the two State associations Mrs. Catt sug- gested that they hold their conventions at about the same time in the same city. The Tennessee Equal Suffrage Association, Mrs. McCormack president, set its convention for Jan. 5, 6, 1917, and that of the other was announced for the Qth, both in Nashville. The former was held at the Hotel Hermitage, large and enthusiastic, with the principal speakers Clyde Shropshire, Speaker of the House, the Hon. George L. Berry, Dixon Mer- ritt, editor of the Tennesseean, and Miss Laura Clay. Mrs. Ford was elected president. The latter postponed its conven- tion to January 30-31, which made the union impossible. On February 22 the former association offered its services to Gov- ernor Rye to be utilized as he should see fit, should the United States enter the war. Mrs. Catt called a meeting of the Executive Council of the National Association for the 23rd in Washington to consider offering its assistance to President Wilson and Mrs. 1 Mrs. C. B. Allen organized the Memphis Woman's Party within the State Associa- tion and became its president and Mrs. Ford organized it in Chattanooga with over 400 members, was elected president and ward organization started there. Nashville had the first through ward organization, due to Miss Matilda Porter.