ILLINOIS.[42]
The Illinois Equal Suffrage Association started on its work for the
new century with a determination to win full suffrage for women--the
one great purpose for which it was organized in 1869. The State
conventions were always held in October or November. In the earlier
years they usually went to the "down state" cities or towns, but as
they grew large Chicago was generally selected. In October, 1900, the
State convention was held at Edgewater and Mrs. Elizabeth Boynton
Harbert of Evanston resumed the presidency, which she had held for a
number of years. Delegates from four places besides Chicago were
present. Mrs. Catharine Waugh McCulloch was made legislative chairman
and work was continued for needed changes in the laws.
At the convention of 1901 Mrs. Elizabeth F. Long of Barry was elected
president. Great effort was made to interest the press in the suffrage
question and a leaflet entitled Suffrage for Women Taxpayers was
published and sent to all the large newspapers. The Chicago Teachers'
Federation, under the leadership of Miss Margaret Haley and Miss
Catherine Goggin, rendered valuable service in arousing the people to
the injustice of taxation without representation. The Ella Flagg Young
Club, an organization of the women principals of the public schools,
affiliated this year with the State suffrage association. Petitions
were circulated and suffrage resolutions passed by various kinds of
clubs and plans were made to introduce in the next Legislature the
Municipal and Presidential suffrage bill as well as a full suffrage
amendment to the State constitution. Among the women who rendered
efficient service in these early years were Dr. Julia Holmes Smith,
Mrs. Lucy Flower and Mrs. Lydia Avery Coonley-Ward.
The next convention was held in Jacksonville in 1902 and the Rev. Kate
Hughes of Table Grove was elected president. At the convention of 1903
Mrs. Hughes was re-elected. A feature of the educational work this
year was to urge the directors of the libraries of the State to place
on their shelves the official History of Woman Suffrage, recently
brought up to date. A leaflet by Mrs. McCulloch, Bench and Bar of
Illinois, was published by the association and widely circulated. It
gave the opinions of some of the ablest jurists and statesmen on the
woman suffrage question.
At the 1904 convention Mrs. McCulloch was elected president. Notable
growth was made in suffrage societies during the year and favorable
sentiment was aroused in organizations formed for other work. Among
these were the State Federation of Women's Clubs and the Teachers'
Federation, the former with a membership of 25,000 and the latter with
3,500. All party conventions but the Republican passed strong suffrage
resolutions and all parties including this one nominated women as
trustees of the State University. The Democratic Mayor of Chicago,
Edward F. Dunne, appointed Miss Jane Addams, Dr. Cornelia DeBey and
Mrs. Emmons Blaine as members of the School Board. The legislative
work was encouraging this year, for in both Senate and House the
Municipal and Presidential suffrage bill was reported out of committee
with favorable recommendations, and in the Senate it reached second
reading.
The State convention of 1905 was held in Chicago and Mrs. Ella S.
Stewart was elected president. During the year much literature was
distributed and a committee was appointed, that included as many
federated club presidents as would serve, to secure if possible
Municipal suffrage in the new Chicago charter which was then being
considered. Mrs. Charles Henrotin, former president of the General
Federation of Women's Clubs, was appointed chairman. The women were
allowed to make their appeal before several minor committees, but not
before the whole Charter Convention, which tabled their request. The
entire charter was tabled in the Legislature. Miss Alice Henry,
formerly of Australia, editor of the magazine _Life and Labor_, gave
valuable assistance in organizing suffrage clubs. Educational work in
colleges was begun and Mrs. Elmira E. Springer, an ardent suffrage
worker, contributed a fund of $1,000, the interest to be distributed
as prizes at an annual inter-collegiate oratorical suffrage contest.
As a result suffrage societies were formed among the college students
auxiliary to the State association. It published suffrage leaflets
written by Judge Murray F. Tuley, a prominent Chicago judge; Mrs.
Eugenia M. Bacon, former president of the State Federation of Women's
Clubs, and one by Miss Anna Nicholes, an active settlement worker, on
the need of the ballot for the working woman.
At the convention of 1906 Mrs. Stewart was re-elected. Much literature
was published and valuable educational work was carried on in addition
to the legislative work at Springfield under the auspices of Mrs.
McCulloch. In the fall of 1907 the State convention was held on the
Fair grounds at Springfield, and Mrs. Stewart was re-elected. At the
convention of 1908 Mrs. Stewart was continued as president. The
association co-operated with the National American Suffrage
Association in requesting the National Republican Committee, which met
in Chicago, to incorporate a woman suffrage plank in its platform. An
active educational campaign was started to appeal again for Municipal
suffrage for women in another charter which was being prepared. This
time the charter convention acceded to the request of the women, but
the whole was defeated at Springfield. In this work important help was
given the association by the Teachers' Federation, the Chicago Woman's
Club and the Trade Union League. The Chicago Political Equality
League, as well as other affiliated suffrage organizations, took an
active part in this campaign and about 60,000 signatures to a petition
were obtained.
In October, 1909, the State convention was held in Chicago and Mrs.
Stewart was again re-elected. This year the State association
organized the Chicago Men's Equal Suffrage League with former Senator
Thomas J. McMillan, the "father" of the Illinois School suffrage law,
as its first president. The members were from many walks of life,
among them George E. Cole, founder of the Citizens' Association, who
had led in civic reform work for many years; Bishop Samuel Fallows,
one of the city's most prominent and best loved clergymen; Richard S.
Tuthill, for years an influential Judge; Jenkin Lloyd Jones, founder
of the liberal church known as Lincoln Center; Dr. Henry B. Favill,
one of Chicago's well-known physicians; Henry Neil, who was
responsible for the mothers' pension law; Andrew MacLeish, a member of
Carson, Pirie, Scott & Company, one of the city's largest dry goods
houses, and many other prominent men, including the husbands of all
the well-known suffragists. This year for the first time permanent
headquarters were opened in the Fine Arts Building, 410 Michigan
Boulevard, and Miss Harriet Grim, a student of Chicago University, was
engaged as State organizer. She spoke before women's clubs, labor
unions and parlor groups and twenty new societies were formed. Active
suffrage work was also instituted among the churches under the
management of Mrs. Fannie H. Rastall, chairman of the Church
Committee.
In the spring of 1910 the State Board decided to try suffrage
automobile tours. Mrs. Grace Wilbur Trout, president of the Chicago
Political Equality League, was appointed to take charge of an
experimental tour which required about six weeks of preparatory work
to insure its success. She visited the offices of the newspapers and
secured their co-operation. The tour started on Monday, July 11, and
the edition of the _Tribune_ the day before contained a full colored
page of the women in the autos and nearly a half page more of reading
material about it. The paper sent two reporters on the trip, who rode
in the car with the speakers. The _Examiner_, _Record Herald_, _Post_
and _Journal_ sent reporters by railroad and trolley, who joined the
suffragists at their stopping places. The women spoke from the
automobile, which drove into some square or stopped on a prominent
street corner, previously arranged for by the local committees. Mrs.
McCulloch spoke from the legal standpoint; Miss Nicholes from the
laboring woman's view and Mrs. Stewart from an international aspect.
Mrs. Trout made the opening address, covering the subject in a general
way, and presented the speakers. She herself was introduced by some
prominent local woman and on several occasions by the Mayor.
Sixteen towns were visited, and the _Tribune_ said: "Suffrage tour
ends in triumph. With mud bespattered 'Votes for Women' banners still
flying, Mrs. Trout and her party of orators returned late yesterday
afternoon. Men and women cheered them all the way in from their last
stop at Wheaton to the Fine Arts Building headquarters." Similar tours
in other parts of the State were conducted by Dr. Anna E. Blount, Mrs.
Stewart, Miss Grim and Mrs. Jennie F. W. Johnson. Mrs. Trout took her
same speakers and went to Lake Geneva, where meetings with speaking
from automobiles were held under the auspices of Mrs. Willis S.
McCrea, who entertained the suffragists in her spacious summer home.
In the autumn at her house on Lincoln Parkway Mrs. McCrea organized
the North Side Branch of the State association, afterwards (1913)
renamed the Chicago Equal Suffrage Association.
In October the State convention was held at Elgin and Mrs. Stewart was
re-elected. The Municipal and Presidential bills and the full suffrage
amendment were introduced in the Legislature as usual. Miss Grim and
Miss Ruth Harl were stationed at Springfield as permanent lobbyists
and Mrs. McCulloch directed the work. At the time of the hearing a
special suffrage train was run from Chicago to Springfield, with
speaking from the rear platform at the principal places en route.
The State convention was held at Decatur in October, 1911, and Mrs.
Stewart, wishing to retire from office after serving six strenuous
years, Mrs. Elvira Downey was elected president. Organizing work was
pushed throughout the State. Cook county clubs for political
discussion were formed by Miss Mary Miller, a lawyer of Chicago. In
the winter a suffrage bazaar lasting five days was held at the Hotel
LaSalle, under the management of Mrs. Alice Bright Parker. Many of the
younger suffragists took part in this social event. Every afternoon
and evening there were suffrage speeches and several Grand Opera
singers contributed their services. It was an excellent piece of
propaganda work and aroused interest among people who had not been
reached through other forms.
At the April primaries in Chicago in 1912, through the initiative of
Mrs. McCulloch, a "preferential" ballot on the question of suffrage
for women was taken. This was merely an expression of opinion by the
voters as to whether they favored it, which the Democratic Judge of
Elections, John E. Owens, allowed to be taken, but it had no legal
standing. The State association conducted a whirlwind educational
campaign immediately before the election. Unfortunately,
Prohibitionists, Socialists and many independent electors who favored
it were not entitled to vote. The result was 135,410 noes, 71,354
ayes, every ward giving an adverse majority. In October the State
convention was held at Galesburg and Mrs. Grace Wilbur Trout was
elected president. Mrs. Trout had been on the State board for two
years and during this time had served also as president of the Chicago
Political Equality League, which under her administration had
increased its membership from 143 to over 1,000 members. She began at
once to strengthen the State organization for the legislative campaign
of 1913. There were still Senatorial districts in which there were no
suffrage societies, and, as the time was short, competent women were
immediately appointed in such districts to see that their legislators
were interviewed and to make ready to have letters and telegrams sent
to them at Springfield.
During the Legislature of 1911 Mrs. Trout had twice accompanied Mrs.
McCulloch to Springfield and the antagonism manifested against woman
suffrage made her realize that new tactics would have to be employed.
Mrs. McCulloch after many years of service had asked to be relieved
and Mrs. Elizabeth K. Booth of Glencoe had been elected legislative
chairman. Mrs. Trout and she adopted a new plan without spectacular
activities of any kind, believing that much publicity was likely to
arouse the opponents. It was decided to initiate a quiet, educational
campaign and as the only possible way to secure sufficient votes to
pass the measure, to convert some of the opponents into friends. It
was agreed also that a card index, giving data about every member of
the Legislature, should be compiled at once to be used later for
reference. This plan was approved and adopted by the State board.
The members of the Board and suffrage friends throughout the State
gathered information about the legislators and sent it to Mrs. Booth.
The cards when filled out stated the politics and religion of the
various Senators and Representatives, whether they were married or
single, whether their home relations were harmonious, and tabulated
any public service they had ever rendered. This information made it
easier to approach the different legislators in a way to overcome
their individual prejudices. All effort was to be concentrated on the
bill, which, with variations, the State association had had before
most of the Legislatures since 1893. It read as follows:
All women [naming usual qualifications] shall be allowed to vote
for presidential electors, members of the State Board of
Equalization, clerk of the appellate court, county collector,
county surveyor, members of board of assessors, members of board
of review, sanitary district trustees, and for all officers of
cities, villages and towns (except police magistrates), and upon
all questions or propositions submitted to a vote of the electors
of such municipalities or other political division of this State.
All such women may also vote for the following township officers:
supervisor, town clerk, assessor, collector and highway
commissioner, and may also participate and vote in all annual and
special town meetings in the township in which such election
district shall be.
Separate ballot boxes and ballots shall be provided....
As soon as the Legislature convened in 1913 a struggle developed over
the Speakership, and there was a long and bitter deadlock before
William McKinley, a young Democrat from Chicago, was finally elected.
Then another struggle ensued over a United States Senator. During
these weeks of turmoil little could be accomplished for the suffrage
bill, but February 10 Mrs. Booth went to Springfield and from then
attended the sessions regularly. She sat in the galleries of the
Senate and House and soon learned to recognize each member and rounded
up and checked off friendly legislators.
The Progressives had a large representation and had made plans to
introduce as a party measure a carefully drafted Woman Suffrage bill.
Mrs. Trout and Mrs. Booth suggested to the leaders that it would be
far better to let the State association sponsor this measure than to
have it presented by any political party. They finally agreed, but
Mrs. McCulloch had accompanied Mrs. Booth to Springfield taking the
bill which she herself had drafted and which she insisted upon having
substituted. Out of deference to her long years of service her bill
was taken instead of the Progressives'. It named the officers for
which women should be allowed to vote instead of being worded like the
Progressive draft, which said: "Women shall be allowed to vote for all
officers and upon all propositions submitted except where the
Constitution provides that the elector shall be a male citizen." In
Mrs. Booth's official report to the State convention, held in the fall
of 1913 at Peoria, she said: "As we failed to introduce the form of
bill approved by the Progressives' constitutional lawyers they
introduced it, and it required considerable tact to allay their
displeasure and induce them to support our bill." Medill McCormick,
one of the leading Progressives in the Legislature, helped greatly in
straightening out this tangle. He was a faithful ally of the suffrage
lobby and rendered invaluable assistance. Other Progressives who gave
important service were John M. Curran and Emil N. Zolla of Chicago; J.
H. Jayne of Monmouth; Charles H. Carmon of Forrest, and Fayette S.
Munro of Highland Park.[43]
On March 10 Mrs. Trout went to Springfield to secure if possible the
support of the Democratic Governor, Edward F. Dunne, for the bill.
Mrs. Booth said in her official report: "The Governor told us that he
would not support any suffrage measure which provided for a
constitutional amendment, as this might interfere with the Initiative
and Referendum Amendment, upon which the administration was
concentrating its efforts. We assured him that we would not introduce
a resolution for an amendment and that we desired the support of the
administration for our statutory bill, as we realized that no suffrage
measure could pass if it opposed. He then acquiesced." The work at
Springfield became more and more complicated and at times seemed
almost hopeless. No politicians believed the suffragists had the
slightest chance of success. From April 7 Mrs. Trout went down every
week. The women had the strong support of the Chicago press and
editorials were published whenever they were especially needed during
the six months' struggle. After considerable educational work the
Springfield newspapers also became friendly and published suffrage
editorials at opportune times. The papers were refolded so that these
editorials, blue penciled, came on the outside, and placed on the
desks of the legislators.
The bill was introduced in the House by Charles L. Scott (Dem.) and in
the Senate by Hugh S. Magill (Rep.). All efforts were centered on its
passage first through the Senate. After nearly three months of
strenuous effort this was finally accomplished on May 7, 1913, by a
vote of 29 ayes (three more than the required majority) and 15 noes.
It is doubtful whether this action could have been secured without the
skilful tactics of Senator Magill, but he could not have succeeded
without the unfailing co-operation of Lieutenant Governor Barratt
O'Hara. Among other Senators who helped were Martin B. Bailey, Albert
C. Clark, Edward C. Curtis, Samuel A. Ettelson, Logan Hay and Thomas
B. Stewart, Republicans; Michael H. Cleary, William A. Compton, Kent
E. Keller, Walter I. Manny and W. Duff Piercy, Democrats; George W.
Harris and Walter Clyde Jones, Progressives.
The day the bill passed Mrs. Trout left Springfield to address a
suffrage meeting to be held in Galesburg that evening and the next day
one at Monmouth. In each place resided a member of the House who was
marked on the card index as "doubtful," but both, through the
influence of their constituents, voted for the bill. Mrs. Booth
remained in Springfield to see that it got safely over to the House.
The two women wished the bill to go into the friendly Elections
Committee and the opponents were planning to put it into the Judiciary
Committee, where it would remain during the rest of the session. The
suffrage lobby worked into the small hours of the night making plans
to frustrate this scheme. Arrangements were made with Speaker McKinley
to turn it over to the Elections Committee, and when the morning
session opened this was done before the opponents realized that their
plot had failed.
The women were indebted to David R. Shanahan, for many years an
influential Republican member, who, representing a "wet" district in
Chicago, felt that he could not vote for the bill, but without his
counsel it would have been still more difficult to pass it. To
overcome the pitfalls, Mrs. Trout appealed to the enemies to give the
women of Illinois a square deal, especially to Lee O'Neil Browne, a
powerful Democratic leader. He had always opposed suffrage
legislation, but he finally consented to let the bill, so far as he
was concerned, be voted up or down on its merits. It was this spirit
of fair play among its opponents as well as the loyalty of its friends
that made possible the final victory.
Up to this time Mrs. Trout and Mrs. Booth had worked alone, but now
Mrs. Trout asked Mrs. Antoinette Funk, a lawyer, of Chicago, who had
done active work for the Progressive party, to come to Springfield,
and she arrived on May 13. A week later Mrs. Medill McCormick came to
reside in the capital and her services were immediately enlisted. She
was a daughter of the late Senator Mark Hanna, who had inherited much
of her father's ability in politics and was an important addition to
the suffrage lobby. On May 14 the bill had its first reading and was
referred to the Elections Committee. On the 21st it was reported with
a recommendation that it "do pass." The opponents were now thoroughly
alarmed. Anton J. Cermak of Chicago, president of the United
Societies, a powerful organization of liquor interests, directed the
fight against it. Leaflets were circulated giving the "preferential"
suffrage vote taken in Chicago the year before, with a list of the
negative votes cast in each ward to show the Chicago members how badly
it had been beaten by their constituents. The bill was called up for
second reading June 3 and there was a desperate attempt to amend and
if possible kill it, but it finally passed in just the form it had
come over from the Senate.
The hope of the opposition now was to keep Speaker McKinley from
allowing the bill to come up for third reading. He told Mrs. Trout
that hundreds of men from Chicago as well as from other parts of the
State had come to Springfield and begged him to prevent it from coming
to a vote. The young Speaker looked haggard and worn during those
days, and he asked her to let him know it if there was any suffrage
sentiment in the State. She immediately telephoned to Mrs. Harriette
Taylor Treadwell, president of the Chicago Political Equality League,
to have letters and telegrams sent at once to Springfield and to have
people communicate by telephone with the Speaker when he returned to
Chicago for the week end. Mrs. Treadwell called upon the suffragists
and thousands of letters and telegrams were sent. She also organized a
telephone brigade by means of which he was called up every fifteen
minutes by men as well as women, both at his home and his office, from
early Saturday morning until late Monday night the days he spent in
Chicago. She was assisted in this work by Mrs. James W. Morrisson,
secretary of the Chicago Equal Suffrage Association; Mrs. George Bass,
president of the Chicago Woman's Club; Mrs. Jean Wallace Butler, a
well-known business woman; Mrs. Edward L. Stillman, an active
suffragist in the Rogers Park Woman's Club; Miss Florence King, a
prominent patent lawyer and president of the Chicago Woman's
Association of Commerce; Miss Mary Miller, another Chicago lawyer and
president of the Chicago Human Rights Association; Mrs. Charlotte
Rhodus, president of the Woman Suffrage Party of Cook County and other
influential women. Mrs. Trout telephoned Miss Margaret Dobyne, press
chairman of the association, to send out the call for help over the
State, which she did with the assistance of Miss Jennie F. W. Johnson,
the treasurer, and Mrs. J. W. McGraw, the auditor.
A deluge of letters and telegrams from every section of Illinois
awaited the Speaker when he arrived in Springfield Tuesday morning. He
needed no further proof and announced that the bill would be called up
for final action June 11. The women in charge of it immediately began
to marshal their forces for the last struggle. Messages were sent to
each friend of the measure in the House, urging him to be present
without fail.[44] On the eventful morning there was much excitement at
the Capitol. The "captains," previously requested to be on hand
early, reported if any of their men were missing, these were at once
called up by telephone and when necessary a cab was sent for them. The
four women lobbyists were stationed as follows: Mrs. Booth and Mrs.
McCormick in the gallery; Mrs. Trout at the only entrance of the House
left open that day, and Mrs. Funk to carry messages and instructions
between these points. Mrs. Booth checked off the votes and Mrs. Trout
stood guard to see that no friendly members left the House during roll
calls and also to prevent the violation of the law which forbade any
lobbyist to enter the floor of the House after the session had
convened. The burly doorkeeper, who was against the suffrage bill,
could not be trusted to enforce the law if its enemies chose to enter.
Events proved the wisdom of this precaution. A number of favoring
legislators who started to leave the House during the fight were
persuaded to return and the doorkeeper soon told Mrs. Trout she would
have to go into the gallery. As she did not move he came back
presently and said that Benjamin Mitchell, one of the members of the
House leading the opposition, had instructed him that if she did not
immediately go to the gallery he would put a resolution through the
House forcing her to do so. She politely but firmly said it was her
right as a citizen of Illinois to stay in the corridor and remained at
her post. As a consequence no one entered the House that day who was
not legally entitled to do so. During the five hours' debate all known
parliamentary tactics were used to defeat the bill. When Speaker
McKinley finally announced the vote--ayes 83 (six more than the
required majority), noes 58--a hush fell for an instant before the
wild outburst of applause. It seemed as if there had passed through
those legislative halls the spirit of eternal justice and truth and
the eyes of strong men filled with tears.
Politicians declared it was a miracle, but it was a miracle made
possible by six months of unceasing toil, during which the suffrage
lobby worked from early in the morning until late at night and were
shadowed by detectives eager to acquire testimony that would prejudice
the legislators against their measure. It was most encouraging to the
workers when they won over Edward D. Shurtleff, who had been for years
Speaker of the House and was acknowledged to be one of the most
astute men in Springfield. His practical knowledge of legislative
procedure made his advice of the greatest value. Representative Scott,
who introduced the bill in the House, was a highly esteemed member who
refused to present any others so that he could be free to devote all
of his time and energy to this one, and others were equally loyal.
Mrs. Trout's leadership received the highest praise from the press and
the politicians of the State. The Illinois Legislature led the way and
within a few years bills of a similar nature had been passed by those
of fourteen other States.
The State Equal Suffrage Association tendered a banquet at the Leland
Hotel in Springfield on June 13 to the legislators and their wives,
opponents as well as friends, and prominent suffragists came from over
the State. Mrs. Trout asked Mrs. McCormick to take charge of the
banquet and she had a roll of honor printed which the men who voted
for the suffrage bill were invited to sign, and the Governor's
signature was also obtained. As soon as he entered the banquet hall
Mrs. Trout, in charge of the program, called upon the banqueters to
rise and do honor to the Governor who would soon, by signing the
suffrage bill, win the everlasting gratitude of all men and women in
Illinois interested in human liberty. The very day the bill passed the
House a committee of anti-suffrage legislators called upon Governor
Dunne to urge him to veto it and tried to influence Attorney General
Patrick J. Lucey to declare it unconstitutional, which would give him
an excuse. Mrs. McCormick immediately went to Chicago and secured
opinions from able lawyers that the bill was constitutional, and he
stood out against all opposition and signed it on June 26.
On July 1 a jubilee automobile parade was arranged by Mrs. Treadwell
with Mrs. Kenneth McLennan as grand marshal, and the cars filled with
enthusiastic suffragists extended several miles down Michigan
Boulevard. The first important work was to arouse the women of the
State to a realization of all the good that could be accomplished by
the wise use of the franchise. The entire cost of the Springfield
campaign, which lasted over six months and included railroad fare for
the lobbyists, innumerable telegrams and long distance telephone
calls, postage, stationery, printing, stenographic help, hotel bills
and incidentals, was only $1,567, but it left the treasury of the
association empty. The board therefore gratefully accepted the offer
of William Randolph Hearst of a suffrage edition of the Chicago
_Examiner_. He agreed to pay for the cost of publication and permit
the funds raised through the sale of the papers and the advertising to
go into the suffrage treasury. The women were weary from the campaign
and most of the board were going away for the summer but Mrs. Trout
rallied her forces, was general manager herself and persuaded Mrs.
Funk to be managing editor, Miss Dobyne advertising manager and Mrs.
Treadwell circulation manager. As a result of almost six weeks' work
during the hottest part of the summer nearly $15,000 were raised.
After all commissions and other expenses were paid and new and
commodious suffrage headquarters in the Tower Building were furnished
a fund of between $7,000 and $8,000 was left to maintain them and push
organization work.
The constitutionality of the law was soon attacked and Mrs. Trout
consulted frequently with the officers of the Anti-Saloon League, for
the attacks always emanated from the "wet" interests, and most
efficient service was rendered by F. Scott McBride, State
Superintendent; E. J. Davis, Chicago superintendent, and Frank B.
Ebbert, legal counsel for the league, who said it was also their
fight. A case was brought against the Election Commissioners of
Chicago for allowing women to vote on certain questions, decided in
their favor by the lower courts, appealed and brought before the
Supreme Court of Illinois. A meeting of the board of the State Equal
Suffrage Association was called at once, which voted to raise a
defense fund and fight the case to a finish. The chairman of the
committee was Mrs. George A. Soden, first vice-president, and it was
largely through her efforts and the contributions of her husband that
the fund was raised. Not only the legislators who had voted for the
bill but also a number who voted against it sent money to help defend
the law. The opponents of the law--the liquor interests--were
represented by Levi Mayer of Chicago, counsel for the United Societies
as well as for big brewery interests and considered one of the ablest
constitutional lawyers in the State. It was therefore necessary for
the association to secure the best and they engaged John J. Herrick
and Judge Charles S. Cutting, who by agreement with the Election
Commissioners took charge of the fight. The women consulted also with
Charles H. Mitchell, their regular counsel, as well as with Judge
Willard McEwen, whom the commissioners engaged as special counsel.
They frequently conferred with Judge Isaiah T. Greenacre, counsel for
the Teachers' Federation, and Joel F. Longnecker, a young lawyer
active in the Progressive party, both of whom donated their services.
There was a long delay in the Supreme Court and during this time it
was vitally necessary to demonstrate that the women wanted the ballot
by bringing out as large a registration as possible for the municipal
election to be held in April, 1914. The opponents were saying: "Women
down the State have voted because they are interested in local option
but not 25,000 women will register in Chicago." It was, therefore, of
paramount importance to arouse the Chicago women. This work was in
charge of Mrs. Edward L. Stewart, assisted by Mrs. Judith Weil
Loewenthal, members of the State Board. Mrs. Stewart called upon every
organization of women in the city to assist. Valuable help was given
by Mrs. Ida Darling Engelke, city chairman of ward organization for
the Chicago Political Equality League; Mrs. Joseph T. Bowen, president
of the Woman's City Club, and Mrs. James Morrisson, president of the
Chicago Equal Suffrage Association. There were public meetings in
every ward, and a mass meeting the Sunday before the election in the
Auditorium Theater, which seated over 4,000 people, but overflow
meetings were necessary. As a result of this united effort over
200,000 women registered in Chicago alone and thousands more
throughout the State.
On May 2, 1914, was held the first large suffrage parade in Illinois.
It was managed by the State association and its affiliated Chicago
clubs. Mrs. Trout, with the members of the Board and distinguished
pioneer suffragists, led the procession, and Governor Dunne and Mayor
Carter H. Harrison reviewed it. The city government sent to head the
parade the mounted police, led by Chief Gleason, called "the beauty
squad," only brought out on very special occasions. Nearly 15,000
women, representing all parties, creeds and classes, marched down
Michigan Boulevard and hundreds of thousands of people lined both
sides for over two miles. Captain Charles W. Kayser of Wheaton planned
the procession with military skill. The Parade Committee, including
the heads of divisions and numbering over a thousand women, was
invited immediately after the procession to the Hotel La Salle by
Ernest Stevens, manager and one of the owners, where they were guests
of the management at supper, which was followed by music and speaking.
In June the General Federation of Women's Clubs held its biennial
convention in Chicago and the question uppermost in the minds of all
club women was, would the president, Mrs. Percy Pennybacker, refuse to
allow a woman suffrage resolution to be presented, as her predecessor,
Mrs. Philip Moore, had done in San Francisco at the preceding
biennial, and also would it receive a favorable vote if presented? The
State Board, realizing that with the suffrage law still hanging in the
balance in the Supreme Court, it was vitally important to have the
endorsement by this convention, representing 1,500,000 members,
appointed Mrs. Trout to secure favorable action if possible. The
Federation Board on request of Mrs. Pennybacker appointed a special
committee to confer with her and as the result of co-operation the
following resolution, presented by Mrs. Lucretia L. Blankenburg of
Philadelphia, an officer of the Federation, was adopted on June 13:
WHEREAS, the question of the political equality of men and women
is today a vital problem under discussion throughout the
civilized world, therefore,
_Resolved_, that the General Federation of Women's Clubs give the
cause of political equality for men and women its moral support
by recording its earnest belief in the principle of political
equality regardless of sex.
There were between 1,700 and 1,800 delegates present, representing all
sections of the country. The vote was viva voce and so overwhelmingly
in the affirmative that it was not counted. The Chicago _Tribune_
said: "The anti-suffragists made no fight against the resolution on
the floor of the convention, probably realizing they were hopelessly
outnumbered. There was a considerable chorus of nays when it was put,
but not enough for any one to demand a count." Afterwards the
Illinois members recommended Mrs. Trout as an honorary member of the
General Federation and she was unanimously elected.
By an interesting coincidence the day the suffrage resolution was
passed by the Biennial the State Supreme Court pronounced the Suffrage
Law constitutional. A banquet had already been planned by the State
association for that evening to be held in the Gold Room of the
Congress Hotel in honor of the General Federation, and it proved to be
a memorable occasion. Over a thousand women were present and nearly as
many more could not find room. Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt, Miss Mary
Garrett Hay and other well known suffragists, as well as the officers
of the Federation, made speeches.
All these events changed public sentiment in regard to the woman
suffrage question. As Congress was in session this summer its members
were unable to fill their Chautauqua lecture dates, and Mrs. Trout was
asked to make suffrage speeches at fifty Chautauquas in nine States,
filling dates for a Democrat, the Hon. Champ Clark, and for a
Republican, United States Senator Robert LaFollette, and for William
Jennings Bryan.
The State convention was held in Chicago in 1914 and Mrs. Trout was
again re-elected president. During this year the Chicago Equal
Suffrage Association did excellent educational work by establishing
classes in citizenship in the Woman's City Club and by publishing
catechisms for women voters in seven different languages.
At the annual convention held in Peoria in 1915 Mrs. Trout positively
refused to stand again for president and Mrs. Adella Maxwell Brown of
Peoria was elected. Four State conferences were held during the year
and Mrs. Brown represented the association at the National Suffrage
Association at Washington in December; the Mississippi Valley
Conference at Minneapolis the next May; the National Council of Women
Voters at Cheyenne in July and the National Suffrage Association at
Atlantic City in September. In June, 1916, the State association,
assisted by those of Chicago, took charge of what became known as the
"famous rainy day suffrage parade," held in that city while the
National Republican convention was in session. Mrs. Brown was
chairman of the committee, Mrs. Morrisson vice-chairman and Mrs.
Kellogg Fairbanks grand marshal of the parade.
There was much speculation among the political parties as to how the
women would vote at their first presidential election in November,
1916. As their ballots were put into separate boxes they could be
distinguished and they were as follows: Republican, 459,215;
Democratic, 383,292; Socialist, 17,175; Prohibition, 16,212; Socialist
Labor, 806.
Much important legislative work was to be done in the next session of
the Legislature and at the State convention held in Springfield in
October, 1916, Mrs. Trout was persuaded to accept again the
presidency. Delegates were present from every section and the policy
for the ensuing year was thoroughly discussed by Mrs. McCulloch,
Senator Magill, Lewis G. Stevenson, Secretary of State; Mrs. George
Bass, and others. The consensus of opinion was that owing to the great
difficulty of amending the State constitution the only practical way
to secure full suffrage for women was through a new constitution. This
convention, therefore, voted in an overwhelming majority to work in
the Legislature of 1917 for the calling of a constitutional
convention. The Citizens' Association, composed of leading men of
Chicago and the State, had been trying over thirty years to obtain a
new State constitution and as soon as they learned of this action they
sent Shelby M. Singleton, its secretary, to request of Mrs. Trout and
Mrs. McGraw that the work be directed by the leaders of the State
Equal Suffrage Association, to which they agreed. They went to
Springfield at the beginning of the session in 1917 and a struggle
followed that lasted over ten weeks.
[Mrs. McGraw prepared a very full account of the work in the
Legislature to have it submit to the voters the question of calling a
convention to prepare a new constitution. Representatives of all the
leading organizations of women assisted at Springfield from time to
time. The resolution had the powerful support of Governor Frank C.
Lowden, Congressman Medill McCormick, Roger C. Sullivan and other
prominent men, but the Citizens' Association in an official bulletin
gave the larger part of the credit to "the tireless and tactful work
of the women's lobby." After Senate and House by more than a
two-thirds majority had voted to submit the question to the voters
the State association organized an Emergency League to establish
centers in each of the 101 counties and an immense educational
campaign was carried on. Over a thousand meetings were held in the
summer and fall preceding the election Nov. 5, 1918, when the proposal
for a convention received a majority of 74,239. The next year
delegates to the convention were elected and it met in Springfield
Jan. 6, 1920. One of its first acts was to adopt an article giving the
complete suffrage to women. Before the constitution was ready to
submit to the voters the women were fully enfranchised by the Federal
Amendment.]
After the victory was gained in the Legislature and just as all plans
were laid for the campaign in the spring of 1917 the United States
entered the war against Germany. Mrs. Trout was appointed a member of
the executive committee of the Woman's Council of National Defense and
all the members of the board immediately engaged in Liberty Loan, Red
Cross and other war work. During this period of strenuous activity
another attack was made on the constitutionality of the suffrage law
by the liquor interests and the case was again brought before the
Supreme Court. The State Board engaged James G. Skinner, an able
lawyer, formerly Assistant Corporation Counsel, and in December the
law was again pronounced constitutional.
The State convention was held in the autumn of 1917 in Danville and
Mrs. Trout was re-elected. The association now had affiliated
societies in every senatorial and congressional district with a
membership of over 200,000 women. Mrs. Trout was soon called to
Washington by Mrs. Catt to work for the Federal Suffrage Amendment and
spent many months there while Mrs. McGraw directed the organization
work of the State association. She secured the co-operation of Mrs. R.
M. Reed, legislative chairman of the Illinois Federation of Women's
Clubs; they appointed two workers in each congressional district and
nearly every woman's society in the State had constitutional
convention programs. In the spring of 1918 Governor Lowden appointed
Judge Orrin N. Carter, of the Supreme Court, chairman of a state-wide
committee that worked in co-operation with the state-wide committee of
women. The annual suffrage convention was held in the latter part of
October, 1918, in Chicago, and Mrs. Trout was re-elected.
RATIFICATION. When Congress submitted the Federal Suffrage Amendment
June 4, 1919, Mrs. Trout and Mrs. McGraw immediately went to
Springfield where the Legislature was in session. They had already
made preliminary arrangements and without urging it ratified the
amendment on June 10. The vote in the Senate was unanimous, in the
House it was 135 ayes, 85 Republicans, 50 Democrats; three nays, all
Democrats, Lee O'Neil Browne, John Griffin and Peter F. Smith. A minor
mistake was made in the first certified copy of the resolution sent
from the Secretary of State's office at Washington to the Governor of
Illinois. To prevent the possibility of any legal quibbling Governor
Lowden telegraphed that office to send at once a corrected, certified
copy. This was done and the ratification was reaffirmed by the
Legislature on June 17, the vote in the Senate again being unanimous
and one Democrat, Charles F. Franz, added to the former three negative
votes in the House.
Owing to a misunderstanding of the facts for a short time there was
some controversy as to whether Illinois was entitled to first place,
as the Wisconsin Legislature ratified an hour later. Attorney General
Brundage prepared a brief showing that the mistake in the first
certified copy did not affect the legality of the ratification on June
10, as the mistake was made in copying the introductory resolution and
not in the amendment itself. This opinion was accepted in the
Secretary of State's office at Washington. So Illinois, the first
State east of the Mississippi River to grant suffrage to its women,
was the first to ratify the Federal Suffrage Amendment. In celebration
a jubilee banquet was held on June 24 at the Hotel LaSalle, Mrs. Trout
presiding, with Governor and Mrs. Lowden the guests of honor. Among
the speakers were the Governor, prominent members of the State
Legislature and the leading women suffragists.
In October the State convention was held in Chicago, with delegates
present from every section, and Mrs. Trout was re-elected president.
It was voted to continue to work for the speedy ratification of the
Federal Suffrage Amendment in other States and if this was not
obtained in 1920 to work for the full suffrage article in the new
constitution when it was submitted to the voters. At the convention of
the National American Association in St. Louis the preceding March the
Illinois association had extended an invitation to hold the next one
in Chicago, which was accepted. The State board called together
representatives from the principal organizations of women, which were
appointed to take charge of different days of the convention and
various phases of the work. Mrs. Trout and Mrs. McGraw were made
chairman and vice-chairman of the committee; Mrs. Samuel Slade,
recording secretary, was appointed chairman of the Finance Committee,
which raised the funds to defray all the expenses of this large
convention in February, 1920. [Full account in Chapter XIX, Volume V.]
A meeting of the State Board was called and a committee formed to get
as many women as possible to vote in November at the election for
President. Mrs. Trout was elected State chairman, Mrs. McGraw
vice-chairman, and Mrs. Albert Schweitzer, a member of the board, was
appointed Chicago chairman. The Woman's City Club, of which Mrs.
Joseph T. Bowen was president, took an active part in the campaign and
was the headquarters for the Chicago committee. In August in the midst
of the campaign came the joyful news that the 36th State had ratified
the Federal Amendment. A call was issued for the State convention to
be held in Chicago October 7-9, when the Illinois Equal Suffrage
Association, its work finished, disbanded, and its members formed a
State League of Women Voters, with Mrs. H. W. Cheney of Chicago as
chairman.
FOOTNOTES:
[42] The History is indebted for this chapter to Mrs. J. W. McGraw,
eight years on the Board of Directors and six years Legislative
Chairman of the Illinois Equal Suffrage Association. She is under
obligations for many of the facts relative to the campaign of 1913 to
Mrs. Grace Wilbur Trout, State president for seven years.
[43] The State association always did everything possible to cooperate
with the National Suffrage Association. On March 1, headed by Mrs.
Trout, 83 women left Chicago by special train for Washington. In the
big suffrage parade there on the 3rd they wore a uniform regalia of
cap and baldric and were headed by a large band led by Mrs. George S.
Wells, a member of the State Board, as drum major. There was a woman
out-rider, Mrs. W. H. Stewart, on a spirited horse. Mrs. Trout led,
carrying an American flag, and the Illinois banner was carried by
Royal N. Allen, a prominent member of the Progressive party and the
railroad official who had charge of the special train.
[44] "Captains" had been appointed among the members and each
furnished with a list and it was his duty to see that the men on it
were in their seats whenever the bill was up for discussion. The
following Representatives served as "captains" and rendered important
service: William F. Burres, Norman G. Flagg, Edward D. Shurtleff,
Homer J. Tice and George H. Wilson, Republicans; John P. Devine, Frank
Gillespie, William A. Hubbard, W. C. Kane, Charles L. Scott and
Francis E. Williamson, Democrats; Roy D. Hunt, J. H. Jayne, Medill
McCormick and Emil N. Zolla, Progressives; Seymour Stedman, Socialist.