it was contrary to the doctrine of State's rights. They
did, however, want Congress to provide that woman should vote for its
own Representatives, which could be done simply by a Law requiring
only a majority vote of each House. From the early 80's this group was
led by Miss Laura Clay and Mrs. Sarah Clay Bennett of Kentucky. There
was no doubt that Congress had authority over the election of its
Representatives, as was clearly shown in Article I, Section 2, which
prescribes the manner of their election and the qualifications of the
electors in the different States. Later it fixed a time for these
elections. This authority was conferred when, after the amendment was
adopted for the election of U. S. Senators by the voters, Congress
enacted that all who were qualified to vote for Representatives should
be eligible to vote for Senators. The leaders of the National American
Suffrage Association recognized the constitutionality of the bill and
for many years kept a standing committee on it but they did not
believe Congress ever would accept it. Its advocates claimed that if
members of Congress had women for their constituents they would soon
see that the States enfranchised them. The national leaders held that
if women could elect members of Congress it would not take them long
to compel the submission of a Federal Amendment and that the members
would not put this power into their hands. They held also that it
would be just as much a violation of the State's right to determine
its own voters as would the Federal Amendment itself. The Southern
Woman Suffrage Conference, or Association, however, had a committee to
further this U. S. Elections Bill.

At the annual convention of the National American Association in 1914
its Congressional Committee was instructed to include this bill in the
measures which it promoted. It was re-endorsed at the conventions of
1915 and 1916. Miss Clay went to Washington and lobbied for it with
all the prestige of her family back of her and with all her commanding
ability, supporting it by unanswerable argument. Members often
presented it in both Houses but it never was reported by a committee.

NATIONAL COLLEGE EQUAL SUFFRAGE LEAGUE.

While Miss Maud Wood of Boston was a senior in Radcliffe College her
attention was directed to woman suffrage by the efforts of its women
opponents in Cambridge to enlist the college girls on their side.
Later, hearing a speech in favor of it by Miss Alice Stone