Soldiers was a favorite. Women took a prominent part in the
proceedings and woman suffrage was made one of the leading features.
Senator Beveridge referred to it at length in his speech, saying:
"Because women as much as men are a part of our economic and social
life, women as much as men should have the voting power to solve all
economic and social problems. Votes are theirs as a matter of natural
right alone; votes should be theirs as a matter of political wisdom
also."

Later in a glowing tribute Mr. Roosevelt said: "It is idle to argue
whether women can play their part in politics because in this
convention we have seen the accomplished fact, and, moreover, the
women who have actively participated in this work of launching the new
party represent all that we are most proud to associate with American
womanhood. My earnest hope is to see the Progressive party in all its
State and local divisions recognize this fact precisely as it has been
recognized at the national convention.... Workingwomen have the same
need to combine for protection that workingmen have; the ballot is as
necessary for one class as for the other; we do not believe that with
the two sexes there is identity of function but we do believe that
there should be equality of right and therefore we favor woman
suffrage." The Progressive party in State after State followed the
lead of the convention and women were welcomed into its deliberations.
From this time woman suffrage was one of the dominant political issues
throughout the country.

The Democratic National Convention met in Baltimore June 25-July 3.
The Baltimore suffragists applied on Thursday for a hearing before the
Resolutions Committee for Dr. Anna Howard Shaw and were informed that
the hearings had ended on Wednesday. Urged by the women the chairman,
John W. Kern of Indiana, finally consented to give a hearing that day,
although he said he had turned away hundreds of men who wanted
hearings, and he allotted five minutes to it. Mrs. W. J. Brown of
Baltimore, Mrs. Lawrence Lewis of Philadelphia and several others went
with Dr. Shaw but after a long wait only Mrs. Lewis and she were
admitted. With a strong, logical speech Dr. Shaw presented the
following resolution and asked that it be made a plank in the
platform:

Whereas, The fundamental idea of a democracy is self-government,
the right of citizens to choose their own representatives, to
enact the laws by which they are gov