the State, delivering more than one hundred lectures, beside
making an extended tour, in company with Mrs. Pitts Stevens,
through Nevada, where on the Fourth of July, at a convention held
at Battle Mountain, the first suffrage organization for that
State was effected. In February, 1871, Mrs. Gordon again lectured
in Nevada, remaining several weeks in Carson while the
legislature was in session. She was invited by that body to
address them upon the proposed amendment to the State
constitution to allow women to vote, which amendment was lost by
a majority of only two votes, obtained by a political trick, the
question being voted upon without a call of the House, when
several members friendly to the measure were absent. The author
of the proposed amendment was the Hon. C. J. Hillier, a prominent
lawyer of Virginia City, who, in bringing the bill before the
legislature in 1869, delivered one of the ablest arguments ever
given in favor of woman suffrage.

In 1871 Mrs. Gordon again made an extended tour through
California, Oregon, and Washington Territory, traveling mostly by
stage, enduring hardships, braving dangers and everywhere
overcoming prejudice and antagonism to strong-minded women, by
the persuasiveness of her arguments. In September, while
lecturing in Seaettle, a telegram informed her of her nomination
by the Independent party of San Joaquin county for the office of
State senator, requesting her immediate return to California.
This necessitated a journey of nearly a thousand miles, one-half
by stage-coach. Six days of continuous travel brought her to
Stockton, where she entered at once upon the senatorial campaign.
Mrs. Gordon spoke every night until election, and succeeded in
awakening a lively interest in her own candidacy and in the
subject of woman suffrage. Her eligibility to the office was
vehemently denied, particularly by Republicans, who were badly
frightened at the appearance of this unlooked-for rival. The
pulpit, press, and stump speakers alternated in ridiculing the
idea of a woman being allowed to take a seat in the Senate, even
if elected. The Democratic party, being in the minority, offered
but little opposition, and watched with great amusement this
unequal contest between the great dominant party on the one side,