lrose, held a bazar which netted $125.

In January, 1895, a State convention was held in Tampa and the
following officers were elected: President, Mrs. Chamberlain;
vice-presidents, Mesdames E. W. King, Emma Tebbitts, Jessie M.
Bartlett; secretary, Miss Nellie Glenn; treasurer, J. L. Cae. During
the year Mrs. Chamberlain gave addresses at the De Funiak Springs
Assembly, the Adventists' Campmeeting and in various towns. The
society paid dues to the National Association until 1897, when the
president removed from the State, no one came forward to take the
leadership and the movement has since languished.

LEGISLATIVE ACTION AND LAWS: Until 1901 the women never had a bill
before the Legislature, although the W. C. T. U. aided greatly in
securing the State Reform School. Its influence also was strongly used
against a Dispensary Bill.

Some men and many women had long felt that the law placing the "age of
consent" for girls at 10 years was a disgrace to the State. In 1887 W.
B. Lamar (now Attorney-General) presented a bill raising it to 17
years, but this was defeated.

Florida makes a distinction between "age of consent" and "age of
protection." Up to 10 years the crime is rape and the penalty is death
or imprisonment for life. The law "protects" girls until 16 to the
extent of a penalty of imprisonment not more than one year or a fine
not exceeding $500, with no minimum fixed. Several attempts were made
by the W. C. T. U. to have both ages changed to 18 years, but bills
for this purpose always were laid on the table.

In 1901 this organization, under the leadership of Mrs. C. S.
Burnett-Haney, its superintendent of purity, began a thorough and
systematic canvass of the State to secure such a petition for raising
the age as it would be impossible for the Legislature to ignore. For
this 15,000 signatures of representative men and women were obtained,
besides the official indorsement of U. S. Senators Stephen R. Mallory
and James P. Taliaferro, Congressmen S. M. Sparkman and Robert W.
Davis, four Judges of the Circuit Court, with many other Judges,
attorneys and city officers; also those of Presidents W. F. Yocum of
the State Agricultural College, G. M. Ward of Rollins College, John F.
Forbes of Stetson University, the State Superintendent of Public
Instruction and over 100 other leading educators. The petition
received also the unanimous indorsement of the State Press Association
and the State Medical Association, and