Page:History of Woman Suffrage Volume 6.djvu/181

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INDIANA
167

Noland sent hundreds of letters over the State asking for names of people interested in suffrage and from the names she formed committees to interest others. Her only assistant was her husband, Dr. J. F. Noland, who helped in leisure hours. In October the work of organization began by Mrs. Noland and Miss Pearl Penfield. A convention was called to meet in Logansport, March 16-17, 1909. Fifteen clubs had paid small dues but only seven sent delegates. It was welcomed by Mayor George P. McKee. Much interest and a great deal of publicity resulted. The Reporter, a Logansport daily paper, published a suffrage edition March 17, one page edited by a committee from the association. Mrs. Ella S. Stewart of Chicago, Miss Harriet Noble of Indianapolis and Mrs. B. F. Perkins of Fort Wayne were the speakers. The following officers were elected: President, Mrs. Noland; first vice-president, Dr. Susan E. Collier, Indianapolis; second, Mrs. Mary Mitchner, Kokomo; corresponding secretary, Mrs. Bessie Hughes, Logansport; recording secretary, Mrs. Wood; treasurer, Mrs. Barnard; auditors re-elected; member National Executive Committee, Mrs. Perkins. During the year Sullivan, Terre Haute, Amboy, Lafayette, Red Key and Ridgeville became auxiliaries. Mrs. Antoinette D. Leach of Sullivan was made. State organizer; Mrs. Flora T. Neff of Logansport chairman of literature.

In 1911 a resolution to amend the State constitution by striking out the word "male" was presented to the Legislature, drafted by Mrs. Leach. It passed the House committee unanimously, went to third reading and was shelved because of a proposed plan for a new constitution brought out by Governor Thomas R. Marshall. The Municipal League composed of the mayors and councilmen of all the cities in the State invited the Equal Suffrage Association to provide speakers for the annual meeting at Crawfordsville June 20 and Mrs. Noland, Miss Noble and Mrs. Leach responded. They were courteously received and heard with much applause. The convention was not interested in woman suffrage but the press gave much publicity. A State suffrage convention was held at this time. In August a monthly journal called the Woman Citizen was established in Indianapolis by the association with Mrs. Leach as editor, its columns open