pt in its platform a declaration
favoring the extension of the franchise to the women of the United
States."

This appeal was signed by Dr. Anna Howard Shaw, president, Kate M.
Gordon, Rachel Foster Avery, Alice Stone Blackwell, Harriet Taylor
Upton, Laura Clay and Mary S. Sperry, national officers. It received
no consideration whatever, but, although the suffragists did not know
it, this was the last year when the two powerful political parties of
the country could stand with a united front hostile to all progressive
movements. There was shortly to be brought to the assistance of such
movements strong forces which could not be resisted.

Early in 1912 President William Howard Taft and U. S. Senator Robert
M. La Follette announced their intention of trying to secure the
Republican nomination for the presidency and the press of the country
took up the burning question, "Will Roosevelt be a candidate for a
third term?" On February 25 he announced his candidacy and from then
until the date of the Republican national convention the public
interest was intense. The convention met in Chicago, June 16-20. Miss
Jane Addams, vice-president of the National American Woman Suffrage
Association, had arranged with a number of women to appear at a few
hours' notice before the Resolutions Committee but she could not give
even that, as she learned at 8:30 p.m. on the 19th that the committee
would meet at 9:30 in the Congress Hotel and she must appear at that
time. There was hastily mustered into service a small but
distinguished group of suffragists consisting of Mrs. Joseph T. Bowen
and Miss Mary Bartelme of Chicago; Professor Sophonisba Breckinridge
of Kentucky; Mrs. B. B. Mumford of Richmond, Va.; Miss Lillian D. Wald
and Mrs. Simkovitch of New York City; Miss Helen Todd of California;
Professor Freund of the Chicago University Law Faculty and a few
others. At ten o'clock the suffragists were admitted to the committee
room and greeted cordially by Governor Hadley of Missouri and
courteously by the chairman, Charles W. Fairbanks. Miss Addams was
told that she might have five minutes (later extended to seven) and
present one speaker. She introduced Mrs. Bowen, president of the
Juvenile Protective Association, who spoke earnestly four minutes,
leaving Miss Addams three to make the final plea. There were confusion
and noise in the room and the attention of the committee was
distracted. The platform contained no reference to woman suffr