lace the ballot in the hand of every woman of
legal age, as the only weapon with which she can protect her person and
property and defend herself against all aggressive legislation."

Miss Anthony was notified that she could have a hearing before the
platform committee on the evening of June 8. She was promptly on hand
and was kept standing in the hall outside of the committee room until
after 9 o'clock. Finally she was so tired she sent for one of the
committee to ask how much longer she would have to wait. She learned
that its chairman, J. B. Foraker, of Ohio, refused to preside or call
the committee to order to hear any argument on woman suffrage. Senator
Jones, of Nevada, then hunted him up and asked if he might preside in
his place, and permission being given she was invited into the room. She
spoke for thirty minutes as only a woman could speak who had suffered
the persecution of an Abolitionist before the Republican party was born,
who had been loyal to that party throughout all the dark days of the
Civil War, who had not once repudiated its principles in all the years
which had since elapsed. She pleaded that now she and the women she
represented might have its support and recognition in their right to
representation at the ballot-box. This committee was composed of
twoscore of the most prominent men in the Republican party and, at the
close of Miss Anthony's address, every one in the room arose and many
crowded about her, giving her the most earnest assurance of their belief
in the justice of her cause, but telling her frankly that they could not
put a woman suffrage plank in their platform as the party was not able
to carry the load! The plank eventually adopted read as follows:

We demand that every citizen of the United States shall be allowed
to cast one free and unrestricted ballot in all public elections,
and that such ballot shall be counted as cast; that such laws shall
be enacted and enforced as will secure to every citizen, be he rich
or poor, native or foreign, white or black, this sovereign right
guaranteed by the Constitution. The free and honest popular ballot,
the just and equal representation of all the people, as well as
their just and equal protection under the laws, are the foundation
of our republican institutions, and the party will never relax its
efforts until the integrity of the ballot and the purity of
elections shall be guaranteed