ubs, which was to hold its convention there May 3, was
invited to attend and the next day it passed a woman suffrage
resolution by a vote of 96 to 43.

In May woman suffrage planks were secured in both the Republican and
Democratic State platforms, after which the State officers living in
Chattanooga had a 25-foot streamer prepared with the following words
on it: Tennessee Leads the South, The State Federation, Republican and
Democratic Parties Endorse Woman Suffrage, and had it stretched across
the main street. Over night Police Commissioner E. R. Betterton had
made a ruling that banners could no longer hang over the street and
three policemen with the patrol wagon "arrested" it. The women secured
the release of the culprit and through the courtesy of E. A. Abbott, a
merchant, it was placed over the front of his store and there it hung
for several weeks. On June 13 it was taken to the National Democratic
convention at St. Louis, where it gave its silent message hanging on
the wall of the lobby of the hotel in which the Tennessee delegation
had headquarters. Mrs. Dudley and Mrs. Ford addressed the Tennessee
delegates to the convention urging them to vote for the woman suffrage
plank, which they did unanimously.

Mrs. Catt held a successful congressional conference in Memphis, spoke
at several large meetings and the biggest automobile parade ever seen
in the city added to the occasion.[170] Federal Amendment Day was
celebrated in twenty-six cities and thousands of leaflets were
distributed. In October the legislative chairman wrote to all
candidates for Congress asking their position on suffrage and eight
declared in favor. In November those elected were interviewed and
banquets, luncheons and receptions given them on the eve of their
leaving for Washington.

In order to unite the two State associations Mrs. Catt suggested that
they hold their conventions at about the same time in the same city.
The Tennessee Equal Suffrage Association, Mrs. McCormack president,
set its convention for Jan. 5, 6, 1917, and that of the other was
announced for the 9th, both in Nashville. The former was held at the
Hotel Hermitage, large and enthusiastic, with the principal speakers
Clyde Shropshire, Speaker of the House, the Hon. George L. Berry,
Dixon Merritt, editor of the _Tennesseean_, and Miss Laura Clay. Mrs.
Ford was elected president. The latter postponed its convention to
January 30-31, which made the union impossible. On Februa