Page:History of Woman Suffrage Volume 6.djvu/391

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HISTORY OF WOMAN SUFFRAGE.

NEBRASKA 377 "suffrage means prohibition" and threatened the husbands in a I nisi ness way unless their wives retired from the work. This committee watched the papers and when names of women were given as interested in suffrage, even to the extent of attending a luncheon for some celebrity, the husbands promptly were vis- ited. Through this intimidation many women were forced to withdraw and many men who would have subscribed generously did not dare give more than $25, as the State law required the publication of names of all contributing over this sum. Three days before election an "appeal" to its members was sent by the German-American Alliance, a large and powerful organization. It was written in German and began as follows: Ye consider the proposed amendment to the constitution granting the right of suffrage to women as the most important question which will be decided at the coming election. Our State Alliance took a most decided stand against woman suffrage at its annual convention held in Columbus August 25. Our German women do not want the right to vote, and since our opponents desire the right of suffrage mainly for the purpose of saddling the yoke of prohibition on our 5, we should oppose it with all our might. . . . We most ear- nestly urge our friends of German speech and German descent not to permit business or other considerations to prevent them from going to the polls and casting their ballots as above directed. On November 4 the Omaha suffragists stood all day at the polls handing slips to the voters calling attention to the amend- ment on the ballot. The total State vote on it was 100,842 noes, 90,738 ayes; adverse majority of 10,104. The result of the splendid campaign in Douglas county, the stronghold of the nents of all kinds, was seen in the small adverse majority of 1,188. Throughout the campaign the Omaha Daily News valiantly championed the amendment and the Bee and the World /</ as strongly opposed it. The National American Suf- <ociation contributed $4,000 in cash, the services of two nzers Miss Jane Thompson and Miss Elsie Benedict and ' the travelling c of a number of national speakers. The State convention of TOT was held in Omaha in Decem- nd it was decided to or -norc thoroughly and to seek the advice of the National Association as to how and when to