ght
in a minority report signed by herself and the other seven, and in
spite of every parliamentary tactic it was brought to a debate and
discussed four hours, Judge Frank Doster[268] leading the affirmative.
The debate was closed by Mrs. Diggs,[269] and the resolution was
adopted by 337 yeas, 269 nays--with a rider attached to it saying,
"but we do not regard this as a test of party fealty."

The Democratic women brought every possible influence to bear on the
State convention of that party but it adopted the following
resolution: "We oppose woman suffrage as tending to destroy the home
and family, the true basis of political safety, and express the hope
that the helpmeet and guardian of the family sanctuary may not be
dragged from the modest purity of self-imposed seclusion to be thrown
unwillingly into the unfeminine places of political strife."

Miss Shaw continued canvassing the State for two months. Then Mrs.
Chapman Catt went out and remained until after election, making
addresses, conferring with the politicians and counseling with the
women. Miss Anthony, who was obliged to give most of the summer to the
great campaign in progress in her own State of New York, returned to
Kansas October 20, and spoke daily on the Populist platform in the
principal towns until election day, November 6, but only on the
suffrage plank. A large number of the ablest of the Kansas women made
speeches throughout the campaign and an army of them worked for the
amendment.[270]

The battle was lost, and the grief and disappointment of the Kansas
women were indescribable. The amendment failed by 34,837 votes--95,302
yeas, 130,139 nays. The total vote cast for Governor was 299,231;
total vote on suffrage amendment, 225,441; not voting on amendment,
73,790. There was an attempt to keep count of the ballots according to
parties, but it was not entirely successful and there was no way of
correctly estimating their political complexion. However, the vote for
Gov. E. N. Morrill (Rep.) lacked only 1,800 of that for the other
three candidates combined, which shows how easily the Republican party
might have carried the amendment. Subtracting the 5,000 Prohibition
votes, three-fourths of which it was conceded were cast for the
amendment, it lacked 27,000 of receiving as many votes as were cast
for the Populist candidate for Governor. Since some Republicans must
have voted for it, the figures prove that a vast number of Populists
did not do so.[