Mrs. Joanna Croft Read, State secretary, and Dr. Alice Wakefield. A resolution was adopted thanking Senator Page for his promise to support the Federal Suffrage Amendment. Senator Dillingham still remained obdurate and Mrs. Wilson returned to meet with the Executive Board August 17 at Montpelier, after which Mrs. Bailey, Mrs. Read, Mrs. Parmelee, Mrs. Olzendam and Mrs. Wilson called on him by appointment to appeal for his vote. He was very courteous but gave them no encouragement. Mrs. Wilson remained for three weeks conferring with and assisting the workers. In November, at the expense of the National Association, Mrs. Hughston spent three weeks doing valuable field work.
In January, 1919, Mrs. Wilson again returned to assist the board during the legislative session, remaining until after the convention, which was held at Burlington March 11, 12. The speakers were Mrs, Catt, Mrs. Wilson, Dr. Marion Horton, the new State president; City Attorney Hamilton S. Peck, Miss Bernice Tuttle, president of the Child Welfare Bureau; Mrs. Anna Hawkes Putnam, State chairman of the Woman’s Division of the National Council of Defense; Mrs. M. D. Chittenden, president of the State Y. W. C. A., and others. Mrs. Parmelee gave an account of the work for woman suffrage in Vermont and its courageous leaders during the past thirty-six years and the reasons why bills were voted down in the Legislature.
Ratification. On June 4, 1919, the Federal Suffrage Amendment was submitted to the Legislatures for ratification and a survey showed that Vermont’s would probably be necessary to make the needed 36. Mrs. Halsey Wilson returned for consultation with the State leaders and an intensive effort was begun which continued for more than a year. Mrs. Olzendam, chairman of ratification, not only obtained enough favorable pledges from the members to ratify but an agreement by a majority to pay their own expenses, and give their time for a special session. It was soon evident, however, that Governor Percival W. Clement was determined not to call one. Every possible influence was brought to bear on him but he based his refusal on the ground that it would be unconstitutional. By March, 1920, 35 States had ratified and it seemed that the 36th
