when no reports were made and
said: "We represent no vested interests, no constituency: we cannot
help or harm you politically; we can only appeal to you in the name of
abstract justice."

Mrs. Blatch, American by birth, told of the feelings of women arriving
in this country by steamer and seeing the men land from the steerage
who would soon have the right of suffrage which was denied to women
born in the United States. Mrs. Watson Lister was introduced as
representing over 800,000 women voters in Australia and said in part:
"It seems very odd to me to come to America to speak on
self-government. In Australia woman suffrage is not an experiment but
a long experience and one effect has been to disprove all the things
that were said against it." Dr. Shaw spoke of the hardships women had
endured to make this country what it is and of the injustice of
denying them any voice in its government.

Miss Anthony closed by saying that she had appealed to committees of
seventeen Congresses and she urged that this one would make a
favorable report. Senator Mitchell of Oregon responded: "I introduced
this resolution for woman suffrage. I am earnestly in favor of
it--have been for many years--and if I live you will get a report. I
have been more instructed and interested by the magnificent speeches I
have heard today than by any in the Senate of the United States during
the twenty-one years I have attended it." Others expressed themselves
in the same strain. Senator Mitchell's own personal affairs, however,
soon became much involved and no report was made.

* * * * *

Mrs. Catt conducted the hearing before the Judiciary Committee of the
House. Its chairman, Representative John J. Jenkins of Wisconsin, who
was presiding, made no secret of his hostility to woman suffrage but
some members of the committee were favorable. Colorado had been the
storm center of attack and defense for many years while Denver was the
only city of considerable size where women could vote. In opening the
hearing Mrs. Catt said: "Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen of the Committee:
Last year when we appeared before the committee to speak in behalf of
the bill asking the submission of the 16th Amendment we called
attention to the fact that Congress had appointed a great many
commissions for investigation of the conditions, political and
otherwise, of various classes of people, and inasmuch as we have come
here year after year claiming