Page:History of Woman Suffrage Volume 6.djvu/701

 WASHINGTON 685 opportunity for the introduction of a flood of radical legislation which would keep the Legislature in prolonged session at great expense to the State. He finally yielded to the persuasion of a large number of the leading women of the State and to political pressure from his party in high places and called the session, which lasted but three days and dealt only with the subjects mentioned in the call. The occasion was most impressive. The Capitol was thronged with women who had traveled from every corner of the State to participate in the occasion. Every available seat in the balconies of both Houses was filled and the aisles and corridors were crowded. The hope and expectation that at any moment the wires might flash the news that Delaware had ratified and Washington would thus be the thirty-sixth and final State to enfranchise the women of the whole nation, lent an added thrill to the pro- ceedings. At noon both Houses met in joint session to listen to the Governor's message. Dealing with the ratification he re- minded the members that in 1910 the electors had adopted woman suffrage by an overwhelming vote and said, "The State has done well under the management of both men and women." A marked feature of their proceedings was the gracious courtesy accorded to the old suffrage leaders and workers, who were present in large numbers. In the House the honor of introducing the resolution was ac- corded to Mrs. Haskell, Representative from Pierce county, who made a strong speech favoring its adoption. Not one vote was cast against it. By special resolution Mrs. Emma Smith DeVoe, referred to as "the mother of suffrage" in the State, was invited to a seat on the right of Speaker Adams, with Governor Hart on the left. A special committee was appointed to escort her and she took her seat amid loud cheers. She was asked to address the House and said in part : I run proud of the Legislature of Washington because of this tic act and I thank yen in the name of our forefathers, who proclaimed that "taxation without representation is tyranny" and that government with"Ut ifl unjust. ... I thank you in
 * -ame of the early sultia;.;<- workers who have passed on to their

. ard. I thank you in the name of the women of the United States of today who will, I trust, use their new political