and 96 from
Republicans. Of the unfavorable votes, 74 were from Democrats and
32 from Republicans. Of those not voting, 59 were Democrats and
81 were Republicans. These facts show that the measure was
regarded, as we had hoped that it would be, as strictly
non-partisan. The victory came so late in the session that the
appointment of the new committee was postponed until the present
session.

At the November election in 1917 occurred the greatest victory for
woman suffrage ever achieved, when the voters of New York by a
majority of 102,353 declared in favor of an amendment to the State
constitution granting the complete franchise to women. This added 45
to the members of Congress elected partly by votes of women and
presumably obligated to support a Federal Amendment. Colonel Roosevelt
and other leading Republicans and Progressives were advocating it and
William Jennings Bryan headed the Democratic leaders in its favor.
President Wilson had not yet reached this point but he had
congratulated Mrs. Catt, Dr. Anna Howard Shaw and the other leading
suffragists on every victory gained. Both Republican and Democratic
opponents now realized that it was inevitable and they could only hope
to postpone it. After strong efforts to prevent it the Committee on
Woman Suffrage was appointed in the House on December 13 with Judge
Raker (Cal.) chairman. Besides himself nine of the thirteen members
were openly in favor of submitting the amendment: Benjamin C. Hilliard
(Colo.); James H. Mays (Utah); Christopher D. Sullivan (N. Y.); Thomas
L. Blanton (Texas); Jeannette Rankin (Mont.); Frank W. Mondell (Wyo.);
William H. Carter (Mass.); Edward C. Little (Kans.); Richard N.
Elliott (Ind.). Three were opposed: Edward W. Saunders (Va.); Frank
Clark (Fla.); Jacob E. Meeker (Mo.).

The Judiciary refused to turn over the amendment resolution to the new
Committee but amended it by limiting to seven years the time in which
the Legislatures could ratify it, and reported it "without
recommendation" on December 11. Democratic floor leader Claude
Kitchin (N. C.) announced that it would come to a vote on the 17th. He
was strongly pressed to set a later date, as the required number of
votes were not yet assured, but the alternative was probably a long
postponement. Finally he consented to wait until January 10. At the
beginning of the session, through the initiative of Mrs. Park, a
"steering committee" of fifty-three