boy, Postmaster and Mrs. M. W. Pershing, Dr. and Mrs. M. V.
B. Newcomer and W. H. Barnhart, editor of the _Advocate_.

[251] In 1901 the suffrage societies had a similar bill before the
Legislature, supported by a large petition. It was passed by the House
on March 5 by 52 ayes, 35 noes. Enough votes to carry it had been
pledged in the Senate, but the night following its success in the
House hurried consultations were held and the element which fights
woman suffrage to the death issued its edict. The next morning the
vote was reconsidered and the measure defeated. It was therefore
unnecessary to bring it before the Senate.

[252] Mrs. Gougar's argument in full, with authorities cited, was
published in a pamphlet of sixty pages.

[253] In 1901 the Political Equality Club of Indianapolis put up a
woman candidate who polled over 4,000 votes but was not elected.

[254] The women who have filled this office are Sarah A. Oren,
1873-75; Margaret F. Peelle, 1879-1881; Elizabeth O. Callis,
1881-1889; Mary A. Ahern, 1893-1895; Mrs. E. L. Davidson, 1895-1897.
At present the first and second assistants are women.

[255] For particulars of this unique institution see Vol. III, p. 970.

[256] A Monograph on the Associated Work of Indiana Women, prepared in
1893 by Mrs. Ida Husted Harper for the Columbian Exposition, showed
about twenty county and city orphans' home entirely controlled by
women, and also a number of Homes for the Friendless, Old Ladies'
Homes, Children's Aid Societies, etc.

[257] Some of the highest legal authorities in the State declare that
this is not the law and that it will be so decided whenever the
question is presented to another Supreme Court. If this should happen
then women could practice law only by an amendment of the
constitution. What then would be the status of the cases in which Mrs.
Leach and other women had acted as attorney?

CHAPTER XXXIX.

IOWA.[258]

For thirty years the women of Iowa have been petitioning its
legislative body for the elective franchise. Any proposed amendment to
the State constitution must pass two successive Legislatures before
being submitted to the voters, which makes it exceedingly difficult to
secure one. Throughout the State, however, there has been a steady,
healthy growth of favorable sentiment and the cause now numbers its
friends by thousands.

The Iowa Equal Suffrage Association was formed in 1870 and ever since
has held annual conventions. Tha