Philena
Johnson, one of the district presidents. "My wife looks upon you as a
dependent child upon an indulgent parent; your words will inspire her,"
wrote the husband of Emma Smith DeVoe, the State lecturer. "We are very
grateful that you will come to us," wrote Alonzo Wardall, the
vice-president.

Miss Anthony began the canvass at Redfield, November 12, introduced by
Judge Isaac Howe. The Supreme Court decision allowing "original
packages" of liquor to come into the State had just been announced, and
the old minister who opened this meeting devoted all of his prayer to
explaining to the Almighty the evils which would follow in the wake of
these "original packages!" She held meetings throughout the State, had
fine audiences and found strong friends at each place. There was much
public interest and the comments of the press were favorable in the
highest degree.[51]

She addressed the Farmers' Alliance at their State convention in
Aberdeen; they were very cordial and officially endorsed the suffrage
amendment. In a letter at this time she said: "I have learned just what
I feared--the Prohibitionists in their late campaign studiously held
woman suffrage in the background. The W. C. T. U. woman who introduced
me last night publicly proclaimed she had not yet reached woman
suffrage. Isn't it discouraging? When I get to Washington, I shall see
all of the South Dakota congressmen and senators and learn what they
intend to do. The Republican party here stood for prohibition, and if it
will stand for woman suffrage we can carry it, and not otherwise." Her
fine optimism did not desert her, however, and to the Woman's Tribune
she wrote:

I want to help our friends throughout this State to hold the
canvass for woman suffrage entirely outside all political,
religious or reform questions--that is, keep it absolutely by
itself. I advise every man and woman who wishes this amendment
carried at the ballot-box next November to wear only the badge of
yellow ribbon--that and none other. This morning I cut and tied a
whole bolt of ribbon, and every woman went out of the court-house
adorned with a little sunflower-colored knot.

The one work for the winter before our good friends in South
Dakota, should be that of visiting every farmhouse of every school
district of every county in the State; talking and reading over the
question at every fireside these long evenings; enrollin