he Governors they went
to Salt Lake City for the Governors' Conference. Their reports
revealed the fact that women in the enfranchised States had been
absorbed into the political parties, and, with their suffrage
campaign organizations practically dissolved, were in no position
to determine or carry out independent political action. The
replies of the Governors--that "the women of _my_ State have the
suffrage, it will not help us, the cost of a special session is
too great, ill-advised legislation might be considered"--revealed
an even more deplorable fact, that both men and women in those
States were bounded in thought by their State lines and did not
have a national point of view on national issues.

From the first Mrs. Catt had believed that the strategy of
ratification demanded rapid action by the western full suffrage
States, the partial suffrage States falling into line and the
last fight coming in the eastern States where women had not yet
become political factors. Therefore the Governors of the fully
enfranchised States were wired as soon as the Federal Amendment
passed. Those of Kansas and New York responded at once with
special sessions on June 16. Then came an ominous pause. No far
western States had yet ratified. What mysterious cause delayed
them?

Ratifications came in Iowa July 2; Missouri July 3; Arkansas July
28; Montana July 30; Nebraska August 2; Minnesota September 8;
New Hampshire September 10; Utah September 30. Another ominous
pause, with Montana and Utah the only far western States yet
heard from.

On October 23 Mrs. Catt opened a "drive" for ratification through
sixteen conferences in twelve States, all but two with equal
suffrage. She was accompanied by two chairmen of the League of
Women Voters, Dr. Valeria Parker of the Committee of Social
Hygiene, and Mrs. Edward P. Costigan of the Committee on Food
Supply and Demand, with Mrs. Jean Nelson Penfield speaking for
the Committee on Unification of Laws and Miss Shuler for that on
Child Welfare. Mrs. Catharine Waugh McCulloch of the Committee on
Unification of Laws and Miss Julia Lathrop, chairman of the Child
Welfare Committee, spoke at one of the conferences and Miss
Jessie Haver substituted for Mrs. Costigan during the latter part
of the trip. Mrs. Catt'