realized that no suffrage
measure could pass if it opposed. He then acquiesced." The work at
Springfield became more and more complicated and at times seemed
almost hopeless. No politicians believed the suffragists had the
slightest chance of success. From April 7 Mrs. Trout went down every
week. The women had the strong support of the Chicago press and
editorials were published whenever they were especially needed during
the six months' struggle. After considerable educational work the
Springfield newspapers also became friendly and published suffrage
editorials at opportune times. The papers were refolded so that these
editorials, blue penciled, came on the outside, and placed on the
desks of the legislators.

The bill was introduced in the House by Charles L. Scott (Dem.) and in
the Senate by Hugh S. Magill (Rep.). All efforts were centered on its
passage first through the Senate. After nearly three months of
strenuous effort this was finally accomplished on May 7, 1913, by a
vote of 29 ayes (three more than the required majority) and 15 noes.
It is doubtful whether this action could have been secured without the
skilful tactics of Senator Magill, but he could not have succeeded
without the unfailing co-operation of Lieutenant Governor Barratt
O'Hara. Among other Senators who helped were Martin B. Bailey, Albert
C. Clark, Edward C. Curtis, Samuel A. Ettelson, Logan Hay and Thomas
B. Stewart, Republicans; Michael H. Cleary, William A. Compton, Kent
E. Keller, Walter I. Manny and W. Duff Piercy, Democrats; George W.
Harris and Walter Clyde Jones, Progressives.

The day the bill passed Mrs. Trout left Springfield to address a
suffrage meeting to be held in Galesburg that evening and the next day
one at Monmouth. In each place resided a member of the House who was
marked on the card index as "doubtful," but both, through the
influence of their constituents, voted for the bill. Mrs. Booth
remained in Springfield to see that it got safely over to the House.
The two women wished the bill to go into the friendly Elections
Committee and the opponents were planning to put it into the Judiciary
Committee, where it would remain during the rest of the session. The
suffrage lobby worked into the small hours of the night making plans
to frustrate this scheme. Arrangements were made with Speaker McKinley
to turn it over to the Elections Committee, and when the morning
session opened this was done before the opponents realized tha