feguarding measure, which the Governor
signed Feb. 17, 1914, and all uncertainties seemed over.

Determined to have a perfect copy for the petition head the
suffragists had it prepared by the State Legislative Reference
Department and the Secretary of State orally approved it. At the
headquarters it was noticed that the words, "Be it resolved by the
people of Ohio," which the constitution specifically provided must be
on petition heads and which had been on the first one, had been
omitted. They asked the Secretary of State whether this jeopardized
the petition and it was his opinion that it did, although he had
approved it. The Attorney General finally gave it official sanction
and the first petitions were put out in March, 1914, after one year's
continuous effort to get them into circulation. Who but women fighting
for their freedom could ever have had the courage to keep on? They had
no money to pay circulators and all was volunteer work. Over 2,000
women circulated these petitions. To have more than 130,000 men write
their names and addresses on a petition and the circulator see them do
it and swear that she did was no light task but it was accomplished.
On July 30 petitions bearing 131,271 names were filed with the
Secretary of State. A petition was secured in every county, although
the law requires them from a majority only, and each was presented by
a worker from that county. The sight of scores of men and women with
arms laden with petitions marching up to the State House to deposit
them brought tears to the eyes of some of the onlookers.

The campaign opened in Toledo, April 14, 15, was hectic. Everything
possible was done to bring the amendment to the attention of the
voters. Cleveland suffragists put on a beautiful pageant, A Dream of
Freedom. A pilgrimage was made to the Friends' Meeting House in Salem
where the suffrage convention of 1850 was held and the resolutions of
those pioneers were re-adopted by a large, enthusiastic audience.
Women followed party speakers, taking their audiences before and after
the political meeting. State conventions of all sorts were appealed to
and many gave endorsement, those of the Republicans and the Democrats
refusing. Groups of workers would visit a county, separate and canvass
all the towns and then keep up their courage by returning to the
county seat at night and comparing notes. Street meetings and noon
meetings for working people were held. Everything which had been t