nceive; or how the women can
have a hope of winning without it, after all the experience of our
campaigns." Henry B. Blackwell, editor of the Woman's Journal and an
experienced politician, wrote Miss Anthony:

At the request of Mrs. Johns I enclose a letter from Mr. Wagener,
of Topeka. He gives the worst possible advice, and Mrs. Johns'
letter seems to show that she is surrounded by bad advisers and in
doubt as to her course. If there is anything which twenty-seven
years' work has taught us, it is that a woman suffrage amendment
can not be carried without at least one political party squarely
behind it. In Colorado, for the first time, we have had a majority;
and Mrs. Catt, and Mrs. Reynolds and Mrs. Stansbury of Denver, all
say that the amendment could not have been carried if the
Republican, Populist and many of the Democratic district
conventions had not first endorsed it in their platforms. It thus
became a live issue and the masses of voters became interested and
enlightened.

On the other hand, our South Dakota experience is conclusive....
All three parties ignored it, and the press of the State joined in
a conspiracy of silence. The campaign speakers were instructed not
to name it. We had to rely for the discussions upon the efforts of
suffragists as outsiders. Consequently ... we were beaten two to
one. The same will surely be true in Kansas in 1894.... If we do
not capture the Republican and Populist State conventions we shall
be beaten in advance. All hinges on that!

I have just talked with Mrs. Lease, who fully agrees with me. The
Republican convention will be the first to meet. If Mrs. Johns will
go before the resolution committee and urge her plank, securing at
least its presentation as a minority report offered in open
session, it will stampede the convention and be carried. Then the
Populists will put one in so as not to be behind the Republicans,
and _then_ we shall probably win. Do write Mrs. Johns to stand by
her guns. No one but her can do this work, because she is
personally dear to the Republicans. The fate of the amendment will
be then and there decided.

[Illustration: Carrie Chapman Catt (Signed: "Yours Faithfully Carrie
Chapman Catt")]

Rev. Anna Shaw, vice-president-at-large, wrote Mrs. Johns in this
vigorous language:

I must c