so before then. He agreed, however, that
if a majority of the members would come to Pierre at their own expense
in order to ratify the amendment, he would call a session for that
purpose.

This State has a new law which requires that in December of the year
preceding an election there shall be "proposal meetings" held at the
capital to propose candidates for nomination at the March primaries,
each party holding a separate meeting. This year there were to be also
three party conventions at the same time and practically all the
politicians would be at the capital. Mrs. Pyle and her board asked the
Governor to call the session for that time, for many of the members
would be in attendance as delegates from their counties. Accordingly,
after receiving the assurance that a majority of them were willing to
come to Pierre at their own expense, he issued a call for December 3
at 7 o'clock in the evening. It was dead of winter and distances are
long. The call was issued after 3 o'clock on Saturday and the session
was to be the next Tuesday. Telephone and telegraph wires were kept
humming for the next thirty-six hours and the men came from all
directions. One man rushed home to Huron from Minneapolis, called to
his wife to send his "grip" after him and just caught the train for
Pierre. Another used up three automobiles getting to the train from
his home many miles from the railroad, as the snow made the roads
almost impassable.

The question arose how to put the resolution through the two Houses in
the least possible time. It was finally done by introducing the
resolutions in both Houses and giving them their first and second
readings on the evening of December 3. They were then referred to the
proper committees and the Legislature adjourned until the next
legislative day. The earliest possible moment of the next day was one
minute after midnight and this was the hour when it convened. The
final passage took place at 12:44 a. m. on the 4th by unanimous vote.
This was the first time that a South Dakota Legislature ever convened
in the middle of the night but the members were anxious to get home as
soon as possible and the trains leave in both directions about 2 a.
m.

FOOTNOTES:

[163] The History is indebted for this chapter to Mrs. Ruth B. Hipple,
member of the Legislative Committee of the State Woman Suffrage
Association and editor of the _South Dakota Messenger_.

CHAPTER XLI.

TENNESSEE. PART I.[164]

The