CONNECTICUT 75 progress of woman suffrage. This resolution pledged the asso- ciation to a fight against the Republican "machine," which was made with intense determination. RATIFICATION. The final struggle came in 1920 over rati- fication of the Federal Suffrage Amendment. Great efforts had been made to obtain a majority favorable to it in the Legislature that would meet in 1919 and had Congress submitted it in time to he voted on at the regular session it would doubtless have been ratified, as both parties knew it was inevitable. It was not passed by Congress, however, until June 4, and by this time the Legis- lature had adjourned, not to meet again for two years unless called in special session. All that the suffragists were able to do during the winter of 1919 was to press for a Presidential suf- frage bill such as had been adopted by a number of States. In support of this a petition signed by over 98,000 women in- creased afterwards to 102,000 was presented to the Legislature when the bill came up for consideration. Nevertheless, through the intense hostility of the Republican "machine," the bill was defeated by a single vote in the Senate after having received a large majority in the House. Yhen Congress finally sent the amendment to the Legisla- tures most of them had adjourned and would not meet again until 1921. If women were to vote in the general election of November, 1920, ratification would have to be by special sessions. The suffragists of Connecticut were determined that it should be one of the States to hold an extra session. Deputations from the State Association and the National Woman's Party waited upon Governor Holcomb in the summer of 1919 to ask that he call one in order to ratify the amendment. He refused on the nd of a constitutional limitation of the Governor's power. c constitution provides that the Governor may convene imeral Assembly "on special emergencies" and he held that
- ! emergency existed The association then concent rated
on the Republican State Central Committee and the oilier leaders nthcyo I the chief opponents of suffrage. A petition "d by 47^ prominent members of the Republican party was 1 to the chairman of this committee on Feb. II, i< he Men's Ratification Committee a committee friendly to
