he women of the State were
already partial voters, so the league disbanded and in its place was
formed the State League of Women Voters, with Mrs. A. H. Beardsley of
Elkhart as president. The branches became auxiliaries and the
leaders realized that the task of getting the vote was nearly
accomplished--that of using it had just begun.

LEGISLATIVE ACTION. 1901. Through the efforts of the Equal Suffrage
Association a resolution for an amendment to the State constitution to
strike out the word "male" in the suffrage section was introduced. In
the Senate it was buried in committee. In the House it received a vote
of 49 ayes, 33 noes--a two-thirds majority being necessary. Later it
was reconsidered and passed by a vote of 52 to 32. This vote was also
reconsidered and the amendment laid on the table.

1907. Municipal suffrage bill was defeated by the Senate.

1911. A similar measure was reported favorably out of committees but
lost in the Lower House by 41 ayes, 48 noes, and no action was taken
by the Senate.

1913. A resolution to submit a woman suffrage amendment was held up in
committees. The Senate passed a School suffrage bill by 27 ayes, 10
noes, but there was no action in the House.

1915. A Presidential suffrage bill passed in the Senate by 37 ayes, 3
noes, was held up in the House.

1917. This year will long be remembered by suffrage workers as one of
triumphs and defeats. The legislative session was a continued triumph
and showed that public opinion was in favor of granting political
rights to women. A great help was the agitation for a new
constitution. The present constitution was adopted in 1851. An early
court decision that an amendment in order to carry must have a
majority of all the votes cast at the election made amending it a
practical impossibility and for a long time there had been a
widespread demand for a new one for the sake of many needed reforms.
The suffragists joined the agitation for it, as this seemed the only
way to get the vote by State action.

The General Assembly of 1917 was carefully selected to pass the
Prohibition Amendment and was known to be favorable to the calling of
a constitutional convention. While the suffragists placed their hope
in a new constitution yet in order to leave no means untried the
Legislative Council of Women was formed at the suggestion of Mrs.
Grace Julian Clarke, composed of representatives of eight or ten State
organizations, of which the Women's Franch