ommittee. The first was passed,
reconsidered and although again receiving a majority vote, had not the
constitutional two-thirds. The School Suffrage Bill passed by 24 ayes,
7 noes. In the Assembly it received 36 ayes, 22 noes, not the required
majority.

In 1891 a bill was presented to enfranchise women by statute. It was
championed by Senators McGowan, Dargie and Simpson of the northern,
and Carpenter and McComas of the southern part of the State. On
February 7 a hearing was granted by the Judiciary Committee, and Mrs.
Gordon gave a strong legal argument which was presented to the members
as a "brief;" and addresses were made by Miss Severance, Mrs. Addie
L. Ballou and Mrs. Emily Pitt Stevens. Before the vote was taken in
the Legislature Mrs. Sturtevant Peet presented the great petition of
the W. C. T. U. containing 15,000 names, and many were offered by
senators from various counties. Individual appeals were sent by Mrs.
Ellen Clark Sargent, Mrs. Sarah Knox Goodrich, Dr. Alida C. Avery,
Mrs. E. O. Smith and many other well-known women. The bill passed the
Senate by 21 ayes, 17 noes. It had been delayed so long, however, that
it was too late to reach the Assembly.

In 1894 the State Republican Convention adopted a plank as follows:
"Believing that taxation without representation is against the
principles of the Government we favor the extension of the right of
suffrage to all citizens of the United States, both men and women."

The Legislature of 1895 was strongly Republican and the time seemed to
be highly propitious for securing woman suffrage. To this end a number
of influential women visited Sacramento. The first bill presented
called for enfranchisement by special statute and was introduced and
championed in the Assembly by Judge E. V. Spencer. On the afternoon of
January 24 Mrs. Blinn and Mrs. Foltz addressed the Senate Judiciary
Committee, and in the evening a mass meeting took place in the Court
House, which the Judiciary and Elections Committees of the Senate and
House attended in a body, as did also a large number of the members.
Mrs. Gordon made the leading address and Mrs. Foltz the closing
speech. Another meeting, held in the Assembly Chamber February 8, was
addressed by Mrs. E. V. Spencer, Mrs. Blinn, Miss Laura Tilden, a
lawyer, Mrs. Gordon and Mrs. Peet. Great assistance also was rendered
by Mrs. Annie K. Bidwell, Mme. A. L. Sorbier, Dr. Lillian Lomax and
Mrs. Jennie Phelps Purvis.

The bill came