Page:History of Woman Suffrage Volume 6.djvu/603

SOUTH DAKOTA 587 women was the last thing the principal opponents wanted and such an amendment if adopted would have speedily put South Dakota in the "dry" column for all time. The resolution to send to the voters an amendment for full suffrage passed both Houses and was signed by Governor Robert S. Vessey. His favorable attitude was a great help to the women, as it had been in former years when he was in the State Senate. From 1909 the W. C. T. U. continued its suffrage work under its franchise department and the State Suffrage Associa- tion was a separate organization. In June, 1909, a suffrage convention was held at Aberdeen and Mrs. Lydia B. Johnson of Fort Pierre was elected president of the State Political Equal- ity League, a new constitution adopted, officers chosen and an invitation extended to all women's organizations to send dele- gates to a convention at Sioux Falls in the autumn, when plans for the coming campaign would be perfected. This convention met November 6 and from that time until the election in No- vember, 1910, an active campaign was conducted. The amend- ment was defeated, receiving 35,290 ayes, 57,709 noes, but the workers felt that gains had been made and were more deter- mined than ever not to cease their efforts. After the election of 1910 Mrs. Johnson called a State con- vention at Huron and Mrs. John L. Pyle of that city was elected president and continued to serve until the Federal Suffrage Amendment was adopted in 1920. The question was not again brought to the attention of the Legislature until 1913. During the summer of 1911 Mrs. Pyle called a conference at Huron. It seemed advisable to change the method of procedure and the name of the organization, which became the Universal Fran- chise League. An incident of this conference amusing now but very serious then was the earnest discussion of the newly introduced slogan, "Votes for Women," brought over from England. Several precious hours were spent considering whether this was dignified and whether women would not be idered "unladylike" if they adopted it. There was much protest also over bein^ called "suffragettes" when they were really "suffragists." the former bnn the English for "mili- tants." At this meeting the State was divided into four dis-