Page:History of Woman Suffrage Volume 6.djvu/128

114 HISTORY OF WOMAN SUFFRAGE league affiliated with the National American Suffrage Associa- tion, which the next year sent a field worker to help in legisla- tive work. In 1914 it published a special edition of The State, which was put into the hands of all the Florida members of Congress and the Legislature. Mrs. Medill McCormick, chair- man of the National Congressional Committee, sent one of the national workers, Miss Lavinia Engle, to assist. This year Mr. Heard, president of the Heard National Bank, gave the league the use of a large front room on its first office floor. On Feb. 13, 1913, the Political Equality Club of Lake Helen was formed with Mrs. S. A. Armstrong president and Mrs. Irene Adams secretary. On the 2 7th the Equal Suffrage League of Orlando was organized with the Rev. Mary A. Safford presi- dent, and in October the first demand for suffrage was made here. The Mayor issued a notice that all freeholders must reg- ister for the sewerage bond election by the 9th, and a few suf- fragists saw their opportunity. Very secretly and hurriedly, before the Mayor could get word of it and give notice that the election was meant for men only, Miss Emma Hainer and Mrs. Helen Starbuck gathered together several women who owned valuable property and they went to the city clerk's office and announced that they had come in response to the Mayor's call to register for the coming election. He referred them to the Mayor, who referred them to the Council, which referred them to the city attorney. He told them that the law did not permit women to register. This they knew, but their action caused a discussion of the question and disclosed a widespread belief that women should have the right to vote. At a meeting of the executive board of the Orlando league in the home of Mrs. J. C. Patterson April 21 the question of forming a State Association was earnestly considered and Miss Safford was requested to prepare a "call" for this purpose. Soon afterwards she and Mrs. Starbuck were sent to Tallahassee by the league to aid the suffrage work being done in the Legislature. Here the great need of a State organization was very apparent, as legislators constantly asked, "Where are the suffragists from my district?" During the summer through conversation with interested