ical parties. Among other noted speakers
from outside the State not mentioned were Professor Charles Zueblin,
Mrs. Florence Kelley and Mrs. Susan S. Fessenden, president of the
Massachusetts W. C. T. U. Over fifty clergymen of various
denominations gave active assistance.[189]

LEGISLATIVE ACTION. From 1884 to 1900 a bill to give Municipal
suffrage to taxpaying women was regularly introduced in the
Legislature only to be defeated.

1902. The Town and Municipal Suffrage bill in the Senate was defeated
by 22 to 6; in the House by 111 to 75. A Presidential suffrage bill
received only six votes. A bill permitting women to vote on the
license question was defeated by 138 to 67. Petitions with 15,000
signatures had been presented for these various measures.

1904. The Municipal Suffrage bill was reported favorably to the House
by C. C. Fitts, chairman of the committee, but was refused third
reading by 99 to 97. On November 17 it was introduced in the Senate,
reported favorably by committee chairman J. Emery Buxton and passed
without debate with three opposing votes. When on December 6 it came
again before the House for reconsideration it was ordered to a third
reading by 112 to 104 but the next day was defeated by 124 to 100.

1906. A bill to substitute the word "person" for "male" in the
statutes came before the House October 24, was ordered to third
reading by 149 to 24 and passed the following day by 130 to 25. This
majority aroused the Massachusetts Society Opposed to the Further
Extension of Suffrage to Women and an officer, Mrs. A. J. George of
Brookline, was sent to try to defeat the bill. She was coolly received
and found it so impossible to convince the members that she was not an
emissary of the liquor interests that she failed to obtain even a
hearing before the committee. Her coming stirred the suffrage forces
and a telegram was sent to the _Woman's Journal_ of Boston asking for
help and Miss Alice Stone Blackwell, the editor, and Mrs. Maud Wood
Park responded. A public hearing was granted by the Senate committee
and people from all over the State were present. Nine legislators and
members of the association spoke for the bill. Not one opponent
appeared. In the Senate it failed by three votes, many who were
pledged to it deserting.

1908. Legislative committee chairman 1908-1910, Mrs. Annette W.
Parmelee, spoke at the hearing on the Municipal suffrage bill, which
was defeated in the Senate by 16 to 11. Durin