Page:History of Woman Suffrage Volume 6.djvu/213

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KANSAS
199

were made by chairmen of the three departments and eight congressional districts and many county presidents. The State officers were all re-elected; Mrs. C. W. Smith was made president of the sixth district and Mrs. Babb of the eighth. The afternoon features were an automobile ride by courtesy of the Commerce Club and a street meeting where Miss Addams made her first outdoor speech, standing on the rear seat of an automobile. An evening reception at the Masonic Temple was a delightful finale to the biggest, most enthusiastic suffrage convention ever held in the State.

An executive board meeting and a conference took place May Q, at which date the State, district and county officers of the organized forces numbered more than 2,000 women. These with the men in favor and most of the newspapers created a suffrage sentiment which reached every corner of the State. Nearly all of the forty field workers were Kansans, but assistants and money came from other State organizations and individuals. The National Association contributed in literature and money $2,076. Mrs. Laura M. Johns, now of California, and other "formerly of Kansas" women sent counsel and gifts. Kansas people gave most of the money which the campaign cost, and some of the $6,000 expended was so sacred that it was handled with tearful eyes and reverent touch. For instance, one letter enclosed a check for $100, representing "the life savings of Mary,' who wanted it used in a campaign State. In another was $10 "from mother's money, who wanted this justice for women, but it did not come while she lived." Another woman wrote: "This is my sainted mother's birthday and I want this $5 used in her memory." One had made provisions in her will to leave $200 for the next campaign, but thanked God it had come while she could work as well as give. There were the widows' mites, many times meaning sacrifice and toil, and single dollars came from women who were too old or too ill to work but wanted to have apart. There were also a few surreptitious dollars from women whose husbands were boasting that their wives did not want to vote, and "joy dollars" for sons and daughters or the new-born babe. All these gifts were thrice blessed.

With votes as with most of the dollars—they were not coming