ce till the last demand had been met.

LEGISLATIVE ACTION. The Massachusetts Legislature began in 1869 to
grant hearings to women asking for the franchise and it continued to
do so every year thereafter. These hearings usually crowded the
largest committee room at the State House, the throng often extending
far out into the hall. Able arguments were presented by eminent men
and women but it was impossible to obtain favorable action. There was
at least one hearing every year and often several on different
measures. In later years they were generally conducted by Mrs. Maud
Wood Park, Miss Amy F. Acton, a young woman lawyer, or Miss Alice
Stone Blackwell for the petitioners; and by Thomas Russell, Aaron H.
Latham, Charles R. Saunders or Robert Luce, as attorney for the
Anti-Suffrage Association. Miss Blackwell usually replied for the
petitioners. In recent years the suffragists had influential
politicians of both parties to speak at the hearings, thus making
woman suffrage a political question.

1901. The State association asked for the Municipal and Presidential
franchise and for the submission to the voters of a constitutional
amendment giving full suffrage. At the hearing on the latter, held
February 18, the crowd broke all records and members of the committee
who came late had to reach their seats by walking on top of the long
table. Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt was among the speakers.[84] The
measure was defeated March 11 by a vote, including pairs, of 156 to
53. Individuals petitioned for Municipal suffrage for women taxpayers,
which was referred to the next Legislature without a roll call.

1902. The association's petition for a constitutional amendment was
debated in the House on March 5 and defeated by a vote (including
pairs) of 153 to 61. Petitions from individuals for Municipal suffrage
for taxpaying women and that women qualified to vote for school
committee might vote in the primaries on the nominations for it and a
petition of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union that women might
vote on licenses, were all rejected, after lively hearings. The
Anti-Suffrage Association opposed all of them.

The great legislative triumph of 1902 was the passage of the Equal
Guardianship bill. Ever since Lucy Stone in 1847 began to urge the
amendment of the old law, which gave the father absolute control, the
suffragists had endeavored to have it changed. Bill after bill, drawn
by Samuel E. Sewall and others, had been introdu