cessary they could
get one thousand more signatures of the best women in the land to
their petition. What are a thousand names, and who are the best
women in the land? In answer to the one thousand the advocates of
suffrage could bring tens, aye, hundreds of thousands of women who
desire the ballot for self-protection. The fight had now commenced
in earnest, and it would not be ended until every woman in this
broad land was vested with the full rights of citizenship.

The tenor of all the speeches was the right of women to vote under the
recently adopted Fourteenth Amendment. There was an absence of the
usual long series of resolutions, and all were concentrated in the
following, presented by Miss Anthony:

Whereas, The Fourteenth Article of the Constitution of the United
States declares that all persons born or naturalized in the United
States are citizens thereof, and of the State wherein they reside,
and as such entitled to the unabridged exercise of the privileges
and immunities of citizens, among which are the rights of the
elective franchise; therefore

_Resolved_, That the Congress of the United States be earnestly
requested to pass an _act declaratory_ of the true extent and
meaning of the said Fourteenth Article.

_Resolved_, That it is the duty of American women in the several
States to apply for registration at the proper times and places,
and in all cases when they fail to secure it to see that suits be
instituted in the courts having jurisdiction, and that their right
to the franchise shall secure general and judicial recognition.

In presenting the resolutions she said that if Congress failed to do
what was asked, and if the courts decided that "persons" are not
citizens, then the women had another resource; they could go back to
first principles and push the Sixteenth Amendment. A national woman
suffrage and educational committee of six was formed, herself among the
number; and a large book was opened containing a "Declaration and
Pledge of Women of the United States," written by Mrs. Hooker,
asserting their belief in their right to the suffrage and their desire
to use it. This was signed within a few months by 80,000 women and
presented to Congress. The following spring large numbers attempted to
vote in various parts of the country.

The advent of Mrs. Woodhull on the woman suffrage platform created a
wide-spread