who think. It is probable that at least a fourth of the voters in West
Virginia, one of the recent suffrage campaign states, could not define
the following words intelligently: constitution, amendment, franchise,
suffrage, majority, plurality. It is probable they would succeed
even less well at an attempt to give an account of the Declaration
of Independence, the Revolution, Taxation without Representation, the
will of the majority, popular government. Such men might make a fairly
intelligent choice of men for local offices because their minds are
trained to deal with persons and concrete things. They could decide
between Mr. Wilson and Mr. Hughes with some discrimination, but would
have slight if any knowledge of the platforms upon which either stood.
A referendum in many of our states, means to defer woman suffrage
until the most ignorant, most narrow-minded, most un-American, are
ready for it. The removal of the question to the higher court of the
Congress and the Legislatures of the several states means that it will
be established when the intelligent, Americanized, progressive people
of the country are ready for it.




CHAPTER II.

STATE CONSTITUTIONAL OBSTRUCTIONS[A]

[Footnote A: Table of difficulties in each state is to be found in the
Appendix.]

MARY SUMNER BOYD