I
Lecturer and Author
Suffrage Committee, was appointed and "Clara Bewick Colby was made chairman with power to form a representative committee" from those who should be found disposed to take up this phase of effort. Mrs. Colby says in the Woman's Tribune, December 19, 1903, "At the next convention I was able to report that a representative woman had been secured from each of thirty-nine states, in most cases the committee member being president of the State Association. Although the work of securing a committee required much time, yet before the year was out I had secured petitions and memorials from twenty states, mostly from collective bodies, but still hundreds of citizens individually signed these petitions in many places." Notwithstanding this magnificent report the National American Association decided at once to discontinue this line of work, and of course discontinue Mrs. Colby as a chairman of the committee. By this action of the National American Association Mrs. Colby was thrown out of an opportunity to advocate this measure for some ten years. This was a great disappointment to her, as she had worked most zealously and effectively.
She hoped she had laid a foundation for a line of work, which would soon be successful, and thus open the way to the Anthony amendment.
Not until the revival of interest in the
