Page:History of Woman Suffrage Volume 6.djvu/654

 638 HISTORY OF WOMAN SUFFRAGE trate the entire strength of the organization on war work the delegates agreed not to ask the Legislature of 1919 to submit a constitutional amendment for full suffrage but the women would give whatever time they could spare to the Federal Amendment. The convention enthusiastically endorsed Governor Hobby for re-election and he addressed the delegates. It was resolved to vote only for candidates for the Legislature who favored ratification and to send greetings and letters of appreciation to the "immortal six" Texas Representatives in Congress who voted for the amend- ment the preceding January. 1 Decisions of importance were to work out a plan whereby women could be educated as to candi- dates and issues and the machinery of voting; to endeavor to bring out a heavy vote of women in the coming primaries and to organize non-partisan Women Voters' Leagues. Mrs. Cunning- ham against her determined protest was re-elected president. The suffrage law did not go into effect until June 26, and, as the primary election was scheduled for July 27 and registration had to cease fifteen days before, the women had only seventeen days in which to register. There was not time to assess and collect the poll tax requisite for voting and the Legislature added to its good work by remitting it for the election in case of women. The suffrage association set to work to assist the new citizens. Omitting only the words "official ballot," nearly half a million reproductions of the long, complicated ballot to be used in the July primaries were circulated; candidates' records were scruti- nized; issues were studied; "schools of instruction" were con- ducted all over the State. Women attending the first "schools" held others until practically the city women in every precinct, ward and block had been given the chance to vote intelligently if they so desired and the country women had similar opportunities. All the candidates for Governor who stood for civic righteousness with- drew in favor of Governor Hobby when it became certain that Ferguson would again be a candidate and the women organized Hobby clubs and advertised Ferguson's record. A strong cam- paign was also waged in behalf of the suffrage candidate for Superintendent of Public Instruction, Miss Annie Webb Blanton. 1 The speech of Morris Sheppard delivered in the U. S. Senate Aug. 5, 1918, was one of the strongest arguments ever made for the Federal Suffrage Amendment. Ed.