ut of the parlor and
lecture-room into the sphere of politics, the arena where the battle
ultimately had to be fought. Twenty-eight leagues were formed this
year. Miss Amelia C. Fruchte, member of the St. Louis Central High
School faculty, went before the State Teachers' Association and
secured its endorsement of woman suffrage.

In 1913 at the State convention held at St. Louis in September, Mrs.
Walter McNab Miller, formerly of Ohio, was elected State president.
She had been the leading spirit in work for suffrage in Columbia, the
seat of the State University, where her husband was a professor, and
in November, 1912, an organization was formed with Dr. R. H. Jesse,
former president of the university, at its head. Though the State in
general was still apathetic the women in the large places, especially
in St. Louis and Kansas City, were alert and active. Mrs. Richardson,
after two strenuous years, had been succeeded by Mrs. David O'Neil as
president of the St. Louis League. She was followed in October by Mrs.
John L. Lowes, who had to resign from exhaustion and Mrs. O'Neil was
again elected.

The hard work that had been done was beginning to bear fruit and the
Farmers' Alliance, the Prohibitionists, the Single Taxers and other
organizations were seeking the cooperation of the suffrage societies.
The press was giving more and more space to suffrage news. Mrs. Emily
Newell Blair of Carthage was a powerful influence with country
editors. The St. Louis _Post Dispatch_ offered prizes amounting to
$100 for the best arguments in favor and often contained strong
editorials. Thanks largely to Miss Jane Winn, on the editorial staff
of the _Globe Democrat_, suffrage news was seldom refused by that
paper. The Kansas City _Star_ and the _Post_ gave strong support.
Best of all, the women were gaining in courage and confidence. In
September the managers of a Merchants' and Manufacturers' Street
Exposition in St. Louis invited the suffragists to conduct a parade
under their auspices and a large number of automobiles and auto-trucks
gaily decorated with white and yellow bunting and accompanied by
several bands of music went through the principal downtown streets.
The crowds were respectful and occasionally enthusiastic. The
enthusiasm of the paraders reached such a pitch that they left their
protecting cars and marched boldly down the middle of the street,
preceded by a band playing "Everybody's doing it." The details were
arranged