; the Leadership of the United
States in World Democracy compels the Enfranchisement of its Own
Women; Three Reasons for the Federal Method; Three Objections
Answered. It was an absolutely conclusive argument and closed with a
ringing appeal for "the submission and ratification of the Federal
Suffrage Amendment in order that this nation may at the earliest
possible moment show to all the nations of the earth that its action
is consistent with its principles." Dr. Shaw, who never could forego a
little joke, had said in introducing Mrs. Catt: "I had long thought I
should be willing to die as soon as suffrage was won in New York; that
I never should be interested in politics or the making of tickets,
but five minutes after the midnight of November 6 I had picked my
ticket and now I don't want to die until it is elected." Here she
stopped and presented the speaker. After Mrs. Catt had finished Dr.
Shaw rose and looking at her with twinkling eyes said to the delighted
audience: "The head of my ticket!"

The mornings of the convention were devoted to routine business and to
the reports of the presidents of the States, most of whom were
present, and almost without exception they told of active work and a
great advance in public sentiment. It was such a time of rejoicing and
hopefulness as suffragists had never known. The chief and universal
interest, however, was centered in the action of Congress, as this had
always been the goal and it now seemed near at hand. Therefore the
report of the Congressional Committee, made through its chairman, Mrs.
Maud Wood Park, was heard with close attention. The outline presented
was as follows:

The duties of the present chairman began March 17, 1917, four
days before President Wilson called an extra session of Congress
to meet on April 2, a significant step toward the entrance of the
United States into the World War. Thus our work started at a time
of supreme importance in the history of our country and under
conditions full of new possibilities for the cause of woman
suffrage.

Mrs. Catt, keenly alive to the crisis in our national affairs,
foresaw that our people, with their idealism fired by thought of
increased freedom for the oppressed subjects of autocratic
governments, might be aroused to new consciousness of the flaw in
our own democracy. With this thought in mind, on the eve of the
opening of the extraordinary sess