For thirty years the women of Iowa have been petitioning its legislative body for the elective franchise. Any proposed amendment to the State constitution must pass two successive Legislatures before being submitted to the voters, which makes it exceedingly difficult to secure one. Throughout the State, however, there has been a steady, healthy growth of favorable sentiment and the cause now numbers its friends by thousands.
The Iowa Equal Suffrage Association was formed in 1870 and ever since has held annual conventions. That of 1884 took place in Des Moines, November 27, 28, Mrs. Narcissa T. Bemis presiding. The report of the vice-president, Mrs. Jane Amy McKinney, stated that Miss Matilda Hindman of Pennsylvania had been employed two months of the year, besides working several weeks upon her own responsibility. She had delivered seventy-two lectures, formed about forty organizations and obtained many hundreds of names to pledges of help. Mrs. Helen M. Gougar of Indiana had given fifteen addresses, distributed 3,000 tracts and secured 500 subscribers for her paper, Our Herald. Mrs. Mariana T. Folsome, financial secretary, had gone from town to town, arranging her own meetings and visiting many places where no suffrage work ever before had been done. Mrs. Margaret W. Campbell, State organizer, had addressed 139 meetings and assisted in organizing ten counties. Letters urging a Sixteenth Amendment to the Federal Constitution had been written to all the Iowa members of Congress.
The convention met Oct. 21, 22, 1885, in Cedar Rapids, and elected Mrs. Campbell president. Lucy Stone and Henry B. Blackwell delivered evening addresses, while among the delegates was Mrs. Carrie Lane Chapman (Catt). Mrs. Mary J. Coggeshall, chairman of the executive committee, reported that each of the eleven congressional districts had been given in charge of a vice-president of the State association, local societies had been formed, numerous public meetings held and seventeen counties organized. Petitions were in circulation asking the Legislature to amend the constitution of the State so as to enfranchise women, and others that women be excused from paying taxes until they had representation. About forty weekly papers had columns edited by the press committee. At the State Agricultural Fair this committee had, as usual, a large amount of literature in a handsomely decorated booth, which was crowded with visitors from all parts of the State.
In the autumn of 1886 the annual meeting convened in Ottumwa. During that year funds had been raised and a permanent cottage erected on the State Fair grounds to be used as suffrage headquarters. There was also established in Des Moines a State paper, the Woman's Standard, with Mrs. Coggeshall as editor and Mrs. Martha C. Callanan as business manager. This paper, an eight-page monthly, issued its first number in September.[259]
The State Convention of 1887 was held in Des Moines, and that of 1888 in Ames. At the latter Miss Susan B. Anthony gave an inspiring address. The State Agricultural College is located at Ames, and Capt. James Rush Lincoln of the military department tendered the delegates an exhibition drill on the campus of Company G, which was composed entirely of girls.
The annual convention took place in Oskaloosa, Oct. 30-Nov. 1, 1889. A letter of approval was received from George A. Gates, president of Iowa College. Mr. Blackwell and Lucy Stone were present and added much to the interest of the meetings. Mrs. Campbell was for the third time elected president.
On Dec. 4, 5, 1890, the association again assembled in Des Moines, with Miss Anthony in attendance. The resolutions recommended that the suffragists make an effort to place women on all the school boards, and that they work for the election of legislators favoring Municipal and School Suffrage for women.
The society was incorporated under the State laws Nov. 7, 1891, as the Iowa Equal Suffrage Association. The twentieth convention was held at Ames, December 3, 4. Three departments of work were arranged—fair, press and oratorical contest—and a superintendent of each was appointed. Reports were received from all parts of the State which indicated an increasing growth of sentiment and it was decided to place another organizer in the field. The delegates were invited by President William Beardshear to visit the State Agricultural College. Upon their return they passed a resolution declaring that "the Legislature ought to provide a suitable hall for women students." Margaret Hall has since been erected, a commodious building designed for their exclusive use.
The twenty-first annual meeting was called at Des Moines, Sept. 22, 1892, in connection with the Mississippi Valley Suffrage Conference. There were present Miss Anthony, president of the National Association, Mr. Blackwell, Senator M. B. Castle and Mrs. Catharine Waugh McCulloch of Illinois, Miss Laura Clay of Kentucky, Mrs. Sarah Burger Stearns of Minnesota and many others from different States. The report of Mrs. Eliza H. Hunter, chairman of the executive committee, said:
In no previous year has the demand upon our workers been so great, and never has the response been so quick and hearty. Mrs. Chapman Catt, Mrs. Emma Smith DeVoe of Illinois, the Rev. Olympia Brown of Wisconsin, and Mrs. Belle Mitchell of Iowa, have been our lecturers and organizers. The association was invited to send a speaker to the Chautauqua Assembly at Colfax and the Rev. C. C. Harrah was secured. A plan of work prepared by Mrs. Chapman Catt was issued as a supplement to the Woman's Standard, and sent to every county president and local club. Mrs. Callanan published at the same time the Iowa Collection of Readings and Recitations for suffrage societies. The study topics arranged for clubs two years ago had been in such demand that a new supply was necessary. We also have had printed 6,000 copies of a tract, A Woman Suffrage Catechism, by Mrs. C. Holt Flint. The State Agricultural Society by request set apart one day of the fair as Woman's Day, and five women's organizations took part in the exercises. At the hour devoted especially to suffrage Mrs. DeVoe made the address, Mrs. Coggeshall presiding. It was hard to tell where this hour began and ended, for to the listener all seemed suffrage hours.