oth of Glencoe had been elected legislative
chairman. Mrs. Trout and she adopted a new plan without spectacular
activities of any kind, believing that much publicity was likely to
arouse the opponents. It was decided to initiate a quiet, educational
campaign and as the only possible way to secure sufficient votes to
pass the measure, to convert some of the opponents into friends. It
was agreed also that a card index, giving data about every member of
the Legislature, should be compiled at once to be used later for
reference. This plan was approved and adopted by the State board.

The members of the Board and suffrage friends throughout the State
gathered information about the legislators and sent it to Mrs. Booth.
The cards when filled out stated the politics and religion of the
various Senators and Representatives, whether they were married or
single, whether their home relations were harmonious, and tabulated
any public service they had ever rendered. This information made it
easier to approach the different legislators in a way to overcome
their individual prejudices. All effort was to be concentrated on the
bill, which, with variations, the State association had had before
most of the Legislatures since 1893. It read as follows:

All women [naming usual qualifications] shall be allowed to vote
for presidential electors, members of the State Board of
Equalization, clerk of the appellate court, county collector,
county surveyor, members of board of assessors, members of board
of review, sanitary district trustees, and for all officers of
cities, villages and towns (except police magistrates), and upon
all questions or propositions submitted to a vote of the electors
of such municipalities or other political division of this State.

All such women may also vote for the following township officers:
supervisor, town clerk, assessor, collector and highway
commissioner, and may also participate and vote in all annual and
special town meetings in the township in which such election
district shall be.

Separate ballot boxes and ballots shall be provided....

As soon as the Legislature convened in 1913 a struggle developed over
the Speakership, and there was a long and bitter deadlock before
William McKinley, a young Democrat from Chicago, was finally elected.
Then another struggle ensued over a United States Senator. During
these weeks of turmoil litt