that if we lost in Chicago there would be no
hope in St. Louis. At midnight that all-powerful sub-committee by
a vote of 5 to 4 turned down our plank and refused to permit
suffrage to be mentioned in the platform in any way. That
committee has seldom been reversed in all the history of the
party. When later Senator Borah, also sleepless and hungry, came
to us in one of those agonizing moments when decision must be
made at once, when we could not reach our president or our board,
it was Miss Patterson who made the decision that won the
plank.[106]

A comprehensive plan of work was adopted with the following principal
features:

Federal Work: The National Board shall continue a lobby in
Washington until the Federal Amendment shall be submitted; the
matter of removing headquarters to Washington shall be left to
the judgment of the Board; it shall conduct a nation-wide
campaign of agitation, education, organization and publicity in
support of the amendment, which shall include the following: a
million-dollar fund for the campaign from Oct. 1, 1916, to Oct.
1, 1917; a monthly propaganda demonstration simultaneously
conducted throughout the nation; at least four campaign directors
and 200 organizers in the field and a vigorous, thorough
organization in every State; a nationalized scheme for education
through literature; national suffrage schools; a speakers'
bureau; innumerable activities for agitation and publicity; a
national press bureau and a national publicity council with
departments in each State; a national committee to extend
suffrage propaganda among non-English-speaking races.

State Work: A Council of the representatives of States shall meet
in executive session in connection with each annual national
convention to hear reports as to the status of each campaign
State and to fix upon States which shall be recommended to go
forward with campaigns.

No State association shall ask the Legislature for the submission
of a State constitutional amendment or for the submission of the
question by initiative or by a referred law until such Council or
the National Board has had the opportunity to investigate
conditions and to give consent.

Any State which proceeds to a referendum campaign without
securing this consent shall be prepared