reputation.

Women were appointed as representatives from Utah by the National
Suffrage Association, and the correspondence between its officers and
Mrs. Wells, who had been made a member of their Advisory Committee and
vice-president for the Territory, as well as the fact that the women
of Utah were so progressive on the suffrage question and had sent
large petitions asking for the passage of a Sixteenth Amendment to the
Federal Constitution to enfranchise all women, resulted in an
invitation for her to attend its annual convention at Washington, in
January, 1879. Mrs. Wells was accompanied by Mrs. Zina Young Williams
and they were cordially welcomed by Mrs. Stanton and Miss Anthony.
This was a valuable experience for these women, as, even though they
had the right of suffrage, there was much to learn from the great
leaders who had been laboring in the cause of woman's enfranchisement
for more than thirty years. They were invited to address the
convention, and selected with others to go before Congressional
committees and the President of the United States, as well as to
present important matters to the Lady of the White House. The kindness
which they received from Mrs. Hayes and other noted women always will
remain a pleasant memory of that first visit to the national capitol.
On their return home they took up the subject of the ballot more
energetically in its general sense than ever before through public
speaking and writing.

During the seventeen years, from 1870 to 1887, that the women of Utah
enjoyed the privilege of the ballot several attempts were made to
deprive them of it. In 1880 a case came before the Supreme Court of
the Territory on a mandamus requiring the assessor and registrar to
erase the names of Emmeline B. Wells, Maria M. Blythe and Cornelia
Paddock from the registration list, also the names of all other women
before a certain specified date, but the court decided in favor of the
defendants.

In the spring of 1882 a convention was held to prepare a constitution
and urge Congress to admit Utah as a State. Three women were
elected--Mrs. Sarah M. Kimball, Mrs. Elizabeth Howard and Mrs.
Wells--and took part in framing this constitution, and their work was
as satisfactory as that of the male members. Although this was a new
departure, it caused no friction whatever and was good political
discipline for the women, especially in parliamentary law and usage.

This year another case was brought, befor