tes to present its claims, and the one woman above referred
to was given the same amount of time. She did not occupy more than a
minute of it, simply saying that her anti-suffrage league was going to
organize all over the State and work for the Democratic party. The
resolution was laid on the table, almost before they were out of the
room.

A minority report was prepared by Charles Wesley Reed, of San Francisco,
and signed by himself, Mr. Alford, chairman of the committee, and two
others. In a letter to the Call, Mrs. Harper thus describes subsequent
events:

Mr. Reed assured the ladies that he would bring this report before
the convention and he kept his word, although he had other fights
on hand and endangered them by standing for woman suffrage. This
minority report, although properly drawn and signed by four members
of the platform committee, including the chairman, was "smothered"
by the secretary of the convention and its chairman, Mr. Frank
Gould. Every other minority report was read and acted upon by the
convention; that alone on woman suffrage was held back. In vain Mr.
Reed protested; the chairman ignored him and called for a vote on
the platform as a whole. It was adopted with a roar, and our fight
was lost! It was near midnight. We had sat two long hot days in the
convention, had slept but little, were worn out and very, very
wrathy. At this juncture John P. Irish addressed the convention,
stating that a distinguished lady was present, etc., and would they
hear Miss Susan B. Anthony? Thinking it was too late for her to do
any harm, she was received with loud applause.

It was impossible to say what the convention expected, but they got
a rebuke for allowing such action on the part of their chairman and
for treating the women of the State in this unjust and undemocratic
manner, which caused a hush to fall upon the whole body. It was a
dramatic and impressive scene, one not to be forgotten. At its
conclusion there were loud cries for Anna Shaw. The little fighter
was at the boiling point, but she stepped upon the platform with a
smile, and with that sarcasm of which she is complete master
supplemented Miss Anthony's remarks. As she stepped down, half the
convention were on their feet demanding the minority report. The
chairman stated that it was too late for that, but a resol