pable of receiving
and exercising whatever political rights may be conferred upon
them."

On February 14 the bill received 60 yeas, 39 nays, not a
constitutional majority. The sentiment in favor was so strong among
the Populists that a reconsideration was finally secured and the bill
passed by 69 yeas--64 Pop., 4 Rep., 1 Dem.; 32 nays--16 Pop., 12 Rep.,
4 Dem. Previous to its passage the Speaker, P. P. Elder (Pop.)
presented a protest signed by himself, 7 Populists, 4 Republicans and
4 Democrats, declaring it to be unconstitutional and giving eight
other objections.[276]

The friends were much elated at its passage over this protest and sent
at once for Mrs. Johns to come to Topeka and work for its success in
the Senate. She made every possible effort but in vain, the
Republicans basing their refusal on its unconstitutionality. There was
every reason to believe the Supreme Court would have upheld the
statute.

In 1893 an amendment to the constitution was submitted to the electors
by votes of both Republican and Populist members of the Legislature
and was defeated in 1894, as has been related.

In 1897 two bills were introduced, one providing for a Bond Suffrage
which is not included in the Municipal; the other to enable women to
vote for Presidential electors. They were not reported from committee.

In 1899 a bill providing that there should be women physicians in
penal institutions containing women and at least one woman on the
State Board of Charities was favorably reported by, the House
committee, but did not reach a vote.

This year an act was secured creating the Traveling Libraries
Commission. The work for this was initiated and principally carried
forward by Mrs. Lucy B. Johnston, who enlisted the women of the Social
Science Federation in 1897. The federated club women had conducted the
enterprise three years and now turned over to the State forty
libraries of about 5,000 volumes. In 1901 the appropriation was raised
from $2,000 to $8,000.

On Jan. 14, 1901, a bill prepared by Auditor Carlisle of Wyandotte
county was introduced by its Representative J. A. Butler (Dem.) of
Kansas City, to repeal the law giving Municipal Suffrage to women. It
was received with jeers and shouts of laughter and referred to the
Judiciary Committee, which, on the 17th, reported it with the
recommendation that it be not passed. On January 18 he re-introduced
the same measure under another title. This time protests we