5 came the speeches of the suffragists.
Representatives' Hall was even more crowded than before and scores
were turned away. The Hon. James O. Lyford of Concord presided and the
speakers were Mrs. Catt, Mr. Branch, one of the ablest lawyers in the
State, and Henry H. Metcalf of Concord, founder and editor of the
_Granite Monthly_. The amendment was submitted to the voters March 10
with the constitution. The votes in favor were 14,162; against,
21,788, lost by 7,626.

During the year the membership of the association more than doubled.
The annual meeting was held in the Unitarian Church, Milford, November
18, 19. In 1904 the National Association engaged Miss Chase to do
three months' organization work and the membership increased 137 per
cent. The annual meeting was held in the Christian Church at Franklin
November 14, 15, with addresses by the Rev. Nancy W. Paine Smith
(Universalist) of Newfields and other State speakers. On Oct. 30, 31,
1905, the State convention was held at Claremont with Dr. Shaw as the
principal speaker. The most important work of the year had been the
effort to secure a Municipal suffrage bill. Mrs. Mary I. Wood of
Portsmouth, president of the State Federation of Women's Clubs, had
been the chief speaker at the hearing.

In 1906 the convention was held at Concord, October 30, 31, with
addresses by Dr. Shaw, Mrs. Wood, vice-president, and Mrs. Fannie J.
Fernald of Old Orchard, president of the Maine Suffrage Association.
Mrs. White, now 89 years old, gave reminiscences of the early days of
the suffrage movement. Among the clergymen taking part were the
Reverends Edwin W. Bishop (Congregationalist); John Vannevar, D.D.
(Universalist); Daniel C. Roberts, D.D. (Episcopalian); L. H.
Buckshorn (Unitarian); E. C. Strout (Methodist); John B. Wilson
(Baptist), all of Concord; and the Rev. Olive M. Kimball
(Universalist) of Marlboro.

In 1907 the convention was held in Manchester October 25 with Dr.
Shaw, national president, as the inspiring speaker. The State
Federation of Labor had unanimously endorsed woman suffrage. On
January 2 at Washington, D. C., had occurred the death of Mrs. Henry
W. Blair of Plymouth and Manchester, whose husband, U. S. Senator
Henry W. Blair, had secured the first vote in the Senate on the
Federal Suffrage Amendment. Both were lifelong friends of the cause.

In 1908 prizes were offered in the State Granges for the best essays
in favor of Woman Suffrage and excellent ones wer