his plank:

We recognize the supreme and sovereign right of every lawful
citizen to cast one free ballot in all public elections and to
have that ballot duly counted.

The leaders of the woman suffrage movement at once telegraphed to
Chicago to the chairman of the convention, the Hon. Morris M. Estee,
asking if this statement was intended to include "lawful women
citizens," and he answered, "I do not think the platform is so
construed here." A letter was addressed to the presidential candidate,
Gen. Benjamin Harrison, begging that in his acceptance of the
nomination, he would interpret this declaration as including women,
but it was politely ignored.

In 1892 Miss Anthony appeared before the Resolutions Committee of the
national convention in Minneapolis and in an address of thirty minutes
pleaded that women might have recognition in its platform. At the
close many of the members assured her of their thorough belief in the
justice of woman suffrage, but said frankly that "the party could not
carry the load."[147] The following was the suffrage plank in its
platform that year:

We demand that every citizen of the United States shall be
allowed to cast one free and unrestricted ballot in all public
elections, and that such ballot shall be counted as cast; that
such laws shall be enacted and enforced as will secure to every
citizen, be he rich or poor, native or foreign, white or black,
this sovereign right guaranteed by the constitution. The free and
honest popular ballot, the just and equal representation of all
the people, as well as their just and equal protection under the
laws, are the foundation of our republican institutions, and the
party will never relax its efforts until the integrity of the
ballot and the purity of elections shall be guaranteed and
protected in every State.

But not once during the campaign did the party speakers or newspapers
apply this declaration to the women citizens of the United States.

In 1896, when the prospects of success seemed certain enough to
justify the party in assuming some additional "load," the women made
the most impassioned appeal to the committee at the St. Louis
convention, with the following remarkable result:

The Republican party is mindful of the rights and interests of
women. Protection of American industries includes equal
opportunities, equal pay for equal work, and p