e, H. B. Blackwell, and Hannah
Tracy Cutler remained for some weeks, lecturing in the State, and
were warmly received by the local committees. Ex-Governor John W.
Hoyt, and Judge Kingman, of Wyoming, gave a few addresses. The
National Association also held its annual meeting at Omaha, Sept.
26, 27, 28. A reception was given at the Paxton Hotel on the
close of the last session. Following this, a two days' convention
was held at Lincoln, from which point the speakers diverged to
take part in the campaign.[472]

While those friendly to the amendment were laboring thus
earnestly, the politicians held themselves aloof and attended
strictly to "mending their own fences." After the act had passed
the legislature, it was found that almost every prominent man in
the State was friendly to the amendment. The bench and bar were
especially favorable, while three-fourths of the press and a
large majority of the clergy warmly espoused the cause. Leading
politicians told the women to go ahead and organize, and they
would assist in the latter part of the canvass. Thayer and Clay
county Republicans endorsed woman suffrage in their platform,
while Franklin county delegates were instructed to vote for no
one who was not in favor of the amendment.

Previous to the session of the Republican State Convention, great
hopes were entertained that this body would put an endorsement of
the amendment in its platform, as a majority of the delegates
were personally pledged to vote for such a measure. But the
committee on resolutions was managed by a man who feared that
such endorsement would hurt the party, and the suffrage
resolution which was handed in, was not reported with the rest.
On the plea of time being precious, the convention was maneuvered
to pass a resolution that the report of the committee should not
be discussed. The report was brought in at the last moment of the
convention, and adopted as previously arranged, and the
convention was adjourned, everybody wondering why a resolution
relative to the amendment had not been presented. The Republican
leaders feared that their party was endangered by the passage of
the bill by the legislature, for it was very largely carried by
Republican votes, and while individually friendly, they almost to
a man avoided th