ced of a
radically different character, and announces to the public that
this is done with the sanction of the National Board and that it
represents the sentiment of the 642,000 members of the National
American Association!... In behalf of countless members of this
association, I protest against this high-handed action. I insist
that the National Board exceeded its prerogatives when it
sanctioned so radical and complete a change in the time-honored
policy of the association without first bringing it before a
national convention and giving the delegates a chance to pass
upon it. The proposed amendment seems undesirable from every
point of view....

These and all protests were answered by Miss Alice Stone Blackwell,
editor of the _Woman's Journal_, generally recognized as high
authority by the suffragists of the country. Throughout the months of
controversy she kept up a vigorous defense and advocacy of the
Shafroth Amendment, saying: "The old amendment has not been dropped
and many of us believe that the new amendment will pave the way for
the passage of the old one. Most of the suffragists are much attached
to the old nation-wide amendment. If any proposal should be made at
the next national convention to drop it the proposal could hardly
carry, or, if it did, the resulting dissatisfaction would greatly
weaken the National Association, but at present nothing of the sort is
proposed." She did, however, say in mild criticism:

The National Board has authority to decide questions that come up
in the interim between the national conventions. On the other
hand it has never before had to pass upon anything so important
as committing the association to the advocacy of a wholly new
amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It would probably have been
the part of wisdom to get a vote of the National Executive
Council. This would not have taken long and would have saved
considerable hard feeling and perplexity. The approval of the
majority of the Council could probably have been had, for there
is no earthly ground for objecting to the Shafroth Amendment when
it is thoroughly understood. It merely furnishes a short cut to
amendments in the States--a method which any State could use or
not as it chose. Supposing the Shafroth Amendment to have passed
Congress and been ratified, if the suffragists of any State