On this
committee was one woman delegate, Mrs. Eliza Hudson, who could not be
coaxed or bullied. She gave notice at once that she would make a
minority report and carry it to the floor of the convention. The
following was signed by herself and seven other members of the
committee: "_Whereas_, The People's party came into existence and won
its glorious victories on the fundamental principles of equal rights to
all and special privileges to none; therefore be it resolved that we
favor the pending constitutional amendment."

Meanwhile Miss Anthony, Mrs. Catt and Miss Shaw addressed the convention
and were enthusiastically received. When the minority report was
presented and every possible parliamentary tactic had failed to prevent
its consideration, it was vehemently discussed for four hours, in
five-minute speeches, Judge Frank Doster leading the affirmative. The
debate was closed by Mrs. Diggs, and the resolution was adopted, ayes
337, noes 269; carried by 68 majority in a delegate body of 606. During
the fray a tail in some way tacked itself on to the resolution, which
said, "_but we do not regard this as a test of party fealty_." So the
party adopted a plank declaring that it did not regard a belief in one
of its own fundamental principles as a test of fealty; but in the wild
excitement which ensued, a little thing like this was not noticed. The
State Journal thus describes the scene:

When it became evident the resolution had carried, and before the
vote could be announced, the convention jumped up and yelled. Canes
were waved, hats thrown high in the air, men stood on chairs and
shouted frantically. The whole convention was one deep,
all-prevailing impersonated voice. How they howled and stamped, as
though every one loved suffrage and suffragists with all their
hearts!

"I want Miss Shaw to come forward and give that Populist whoop that
she promised she would last night," said a delegate. Miss Shaw came
to the front of the platform and said: "I do not know any better
whoop than that good old tune, 'Praise God From Whom All Blessings
Flow.'" "Sing," said Chairman Dunsmore. The vast audience shook
every particle of air in the big hall with the full round notes of
the long meter doxology. "Let all the people cry amen," said Alonzo
Wardall, who was on the platform. Hundreds of voices which had not
pronounced the word for years joined in t