Democratic convention met in St. Louis June 14-16. The first day
the suffragists staged their "walkless parade," which the press
poetically called "the golden lane," as the 6,000 white-robed women
who formed a continuous lane from the convention headquarters in the
Jefferson Hotel to the Coliseum where the convention was held carried
yellow parasols and wore yellow satin sashes. They gave resplendent
color to the aisle through which hundreds of delegates walked to their
political councils. On the steps of the Art Museum the suffragists
presented a striking tableau showing Liberty, a symbolic figure
effectively garbed, surrounded by three groups of women, those in
black typifying the non-suffrage States; those in gray representing
the partial suffrage States; those in red, white and blue the States
where political equality prevailed. The suffragists had now no
difficulty in obtaining a hearing and plenty of time. Representatives
of the National American Association, the National Woman's Party, the
Southern States Woman Suffrage Conference and the National Association
Opposed to Woman Suffrage appeared before the sub-committee of the
Resolutions Committee.

The entire Resolutions Committee met in the evening of the 15th to
make the final draft of the platform. Although it was a foregone
conclusion that it would have to contain a woman suffrage plank the
enemies did not intend to concede it willingly. It was not reached
until 3 o'clock in the morning, when platform building was suspended
while a contest raged. The sleepy committeemen became wide awake and
their voices rose till they could be heard in the corridors and out
into the street. The unqualified endorsement of woman suffrage asked
for by the National Association was defeated by a vote of 24 to 20.
The approval of the Federal Amendment asked for by the National
Woman's Party was rejected by a vote of 40 to 4. The plea of the
"antis" not to mention the subject was defeated by 26 to 17. Finally
the committee fell back on what was said to have been President
Wilson's suggestion for a plank, which was adopted by 25 ayes, 20
noes. A minority report was immediately prepared by James Nugent of
New Jersey, Senator Smith of South Carolina, former Representative
Bartlett of Georgia, Stephen B. Fleming of Indiana, Governor Ferguson
of Texas and Governor Stanley of Kentucky, in opposition.

The Resolutions Committee adjourned at 7:15 a.m. and the convention
opened at 11. Sen