have passed had it not been preceded by the battle over the
electoral bill and the consequent education of the General
Assembly in regard to this great question of political rights.
Immediately a conference was held as to the proper manner of
expressing our gratitude to the committees on women's political
claims. It was at first thought the recognition should come from
the Equal Suffrage Society, but it was finally considered wiser
to have a reception given the honorable body by a voluntary
committee of women who should act quite independently of any
society.[335]

The passage of the amendment by the legislature of 1881 gave the
advocates of our cause a common objective point, and the efforts
of all during the two years immediately succeeding were directed
toward securing the election of such a legislature as might be
relied upon to repass the bill in 1883. The State society at its
annual meeting enlarged its central committee and instructed it
to arrange meetings in various parts of the State, to send out
speakers, and to organize local societies.[336] This committee
prepared a letter, for general distribution, indicating to the
women of the State their duty in the premises, and suggesting
various lines of work. Blanks for a special petition to the
General Assembly were sent to every township, which were
industriously circulated and numerously signed.

In the spring of 1882 the officers of the State society issued a
call for a mass-meeting, to which "all women within the
boundaries of the State who believed in equal suffrage, or were
interested in the fate of the pending amendment," were invited.
The meeting was held on May 19, at the Grand Opera House, and
the attendance exceeded the most extravagant hopes of those who
had called it. If any came to scoff, they remained to participate
with pride in this remarkable convention, which is yet frequently
referred to as the largest and most impressive meeting ever held
in the Hoosier capital. The call had invited those who could not
attend the meeting to manifest their sympathy by sending
postal-cards to the corresponding secretary. These were received
in such numbers for several days that Mrs. Adkinson and the
half-dozen clerks appointed to assist her in counting them,
unable to brin