tuation was hopeless while Kibbey was Governor.
Mrs. Robinson moved from the Territory and the organization was
without a head. It languished for about three years and its enemies
sang cheerful requiems for the dead. The Legislature that met in 1907
had a peaceful time as far as women were concerned for no suffrage
bill was introduced.
In January, 1909, Miss Laura Clay of Kentucky, an officer of the
National Association, came to Arizona at her own expense. The last
Territorial Legislature was then in session and Miss Clay labored long
and faithfully with it but the resident women were apathetic and gave
her little assistance. The bill that she had introduced failed in both
Houses, the members availing themselves of the excuse that Arizona
women did not want suffrage or they would make some organized effort
to get it. Miss Clay had the right kind of spirit and gathering a
faithful few together they worked out a plan whereby the first really
efficient suffrage organization was effected. This plan was the same
as the political parties in the Territory used, namely, a State
chairman with a chairman in each county and a chairman for each local
club. A convention was called in Phoenix under Miss Clay's direction
and Mrs. Munds was made Territorial chairman. During the year
statehood for Arizona began to loom up and vigorous work was done for
that event. The National Association sent the very woman needed, Miss
Laura Gregg of Kansas. She made an extensive tour of the Territory and
by the time Congress had passed the Enabling Act in June, 1910, it was
thoroughly organized with suffrage clubs in every county and in all of
the larger towns and cities, with a membership of about 3,000 men and
women.
Strenuous effort was made to have a majority of the members of the
Constitutional Convention pledged to vote for a suffrage plank but it
succeeded with only about a third of them. It met in October, 1910,
with eleven Republican and thirty-three Democratic members. Through
the demands of organized labor backed by a heavy labor vote a very
progressive constitution was written. Miss Gregg and Mrs. Munds
struggled with the delegates during its entire session to have a full,
partial or conditional woman suffrage clause incorporated but to no
avail. Members who proudly proclaimed themselves the only original
"progressives" were far too timid to put anything so "radical" as
woman suffrage in the constitution for fear that the voters would
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