was made mandatory
in cities of 100,000 and over. This bill had been passed several times
before and vetoed, but it finally obtained the Governor's signature.
Even then the Police Commissioners of New York refused to appoint
matrons until the matter was taken up by the Woman Suffrage League of
that city. This was the end of a ten years' struggle on the part of
women to secure police matrons in all cities. Most active among the
leaders were Mrs. Mary T. Burt, Mrs. Abby Hopper Gibbons and Mrs.
Josephine Shaw Lowell, backed by the W. C. T. U., the Prison Reform,
the Suffrage and various other philanthropic and religious societies.

In 1892 Hamilton Willcox, who had worked untiringly in the Legislature
for many years, had a bill introduced in the Assembly to give a vote
to self-supporting women. It was referred to the Judiciary Committee,
but met with general disfavor. Mrs. Howell being in the Assembly
Chamber with friends one evening, three of its members invited her to
go to their committee room and draw up a bill for Full Suffrage,
telling her they would report it favorably in place of the Working
Woman's Bill. This she did and the new bill was at once reported. The
next week she gave every moment to working with the members for it,
aided by General Husted, Mr. Willcox and William Sulzer. On Friday
morning, one week from the day the bill was reported, it came to the
final vote and passed by 70 ayes, only 65 being required for the
constitutional majority. Excitement ran high at this success and ten
minutes were given for congratulations to Mrs. Howell by friends and
foes alike. The Monday following she carried the bill from the
Engrossing Committee to the Senate. Only three days of the session
were left and the committee held no more meetings, so she saw
separately each member of the Judiciary Committee and all gave a
vote in favor of considering the bill. Mr. Sheehan was now
Lieutenant-Governor and presiding officer of the Senate and would
allow no courtesies to Mrs. Howell, but one senator, Charles E.
Walker, arranged for her to see every member, and she secured the
promise of 18 votes, 17 being required. On Thursday evening, although
Senator Cornelius R. Parsons made many attempts to secure recognition,
the bill was not allowed to come before the Senate. There was every
reason to believe Governor Flower would have signed it.[389]

In 1893 Mrs. Cornelia H. Cary worked for a bill providing that on all
boards of educat