chise was
under discussion a petition was presented praying that it should read,
"Every citizen of the age of 21 shall have a right to vote," instead
of "every male citizen." A proposition for this was lost by three
votes in the House and was not considered by the Council. School
Suffrage was granted to women.

In 1897 a bill asking for the enfranchisement of women was prepared by
Miss Margaret Rees and introduced in the House, where it was carried
by a vote of 13 yeas, 9 nays, but was killed in the Council. Mrs.
Johns, who had been sent by the National Association, labored most
earnestly for the bill and won hundreds of friends for the cause by
her wise council and able management.

After the suffrage convention in 1898, described above, Miss Hay
returned to New York and Miss Laura A. Gregg was appointed by the
National Association to co-operate with the Oklahoma women in securing
the franchise from the Legislature of 1899. Their efforts and the
results were thus related in the report to the National Suffrage
Convention at Grand Rapids, Mich., in April, by Mrs. Chapman Catt, who
had remained in Guthrie most of the winter looking after the interests
of the bill with the discretion and ability for which she is
distinguished:

Last November headquarters were opened in a business block at
Guthrie, in charge of Miss Gregg, from which an active
correspondence was conducted, resulting in a large petition and a
constant accession of new recruits. There was a most thorough
system of press work, nearly every newspaper in the Territory
aiding the movement. The strongest and best men espoused our
cause and the outlook seemed propitious. The Legislature convened
the first week in January, but an unfortunate quarrel arose
between it and the Governor which hindered legislation and
compelled our campaign to drag throughout the entire sixty days'
session. Miss Gregg continued her work at headquarters during the
winter, and Miss Hay spent a month in Guthrie looking after the
interests of our bill. It finally passed the house, 14 yeas, 10
nays, the week before the session was to close, and immediately
the opposition concentrated its efforts on the Council. However,
a majority were pledged to support our measure, and we felt
little fear.

As soon as the news spread that the bill was through the House, a
telegram was received by each member