lty and devotion of those who believe in it." ...

While recognizing that our primary object is to secure the ballot
for women citizens and that as an organization we are not wedded
to one method of obtaining it but are willing to adopt any just
plan which promises success, nevertheless until a better way is
found we will seek to secure an amendment to the National
Constitution prohibiting disfranchisement on account of sex, and
at the same time will appeal to the States that by their action a
sufficiently strong support may be given to the Federal Amendment
to secure its adoption, unless it become unnecessary by action of
the States themselves.... We must face the fact that large bodies
of our new recruits know practically little of the history of the
suffrage movement, of the long years of faithful devotion and the
wise and statesmanlike service which have brought it to its
present successful position. These recruits are attracted by new
and spectacular methods, are impatient of delay and eagerly
follow any scheme which promises to "get it quick." ... If we
analyze the arguments set forth by these most ardent advocates of
the Federal Constitutional Amendment as the only means of
securing immediate results and learn upon what they base their
hopes of success, we shall see, as has been shown again and
again, that every one of them has its source in the enfranchised
States; that instead of State by State action being "wasteful,
expensive and slow," it is the foundation of hope. This is the
strongest argument in behalf of the wisdom of the founders of
our movement, that they recognized the necessity that State and
Federal action must go together.

ADDRESS OF MRS. CARRIE CHAPMAN CATT AT SENATE HEARING, DEC. 15, 1915.

Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen of the Committee:

Since our last appeal was made to your committee a vote has been
taken in four Eastern States upon the question of amending their
constitutions for woman suffrage. The inaction of Congress in not
submitting a Federal amendment naturally leads us to infer that
members believe the proper method by which women may secure the
vote is through the referendum. We found in those four States
what has always been true whenever any class of people have asked
for any form of liberty and was best des