The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-04-21

officer, was fertile in resources. She
had the loyalty and enthusiastic sup
port of the club women the leaders In
society and hundreds Of active, ener-
getic InatrOns while many business men
gave her quiet assistance and support.
For three months she was as active as
a general in war time, with an enemy
in the field.
The executive work Of the Civic fed
Grafton was done by an executive com
mittee and a council of 100, all OF the
members being women. The executive
committee consisted of a president of
each ward federation and the general
officers of the society. The council of
100 was selected by the executive COM
mittee, one member proposing and two
others indorsing the candidates In
this way it was certain that no dislOyal
member could get within the inner cir
Gle of the federation Men We're per-
mitted to join the ward declarations by
signing the platform Of the organiZa-
ton. The wards were thoroughly or
gained down to precinct committees
and the women of the federation have
personal knowledge of nearly every
voter. When the campaign was fully
on, the women in executive sessions
canvassed the standing of every voter
and means were devised 10 bring in
f1uence into every family to get votes
for the aldeTmanic candidates. In one
of the best wards of the city where a
candidate for alderman was seeking re-
election after having served for several
terms he concluded that he was so
strongly intrenched and had such good
social influence as well as business con-
nections that he could get along without
the Endorsement of the federal ton He
was invited to sign the declaration of
principles but declined to do so. He
was greatly surprised individual WnSn
on the day after election he learned
that he lacked 600 votes, and the gen
tleman who had received the Civic fed
Grafton Endorsement now represents
that ward. Just how this came about
he will never know, but had he witness
ed the personal canvassing, the confer
ences between women, the hundreds of
personal letters written by more than so
women of position in that ward to
friends appealing for their votes, he
would have known in advance that his
cause was blocked.
The Civic federation did not make up
the political ticket. The women of the
council of 100 made up list of names
of men, each being permitted to suggest
five names and the executive commit
tee selected from the names thus pro-
posed a committee of 100 men who were
asked to join with the council of 100 wO-
men in a convention to nominate can
didateS. The convention was known as
the taxpayers convention" and the
ticket set up was styled the taxpayers
ticket" This ticket was put into the
field weeks before the regular party
nominations were made and every effort
of those parties had to be based upon
the prOba bic opposition of the Civic fed
Grafton movement and the taxpayers
party. A few days before election the
Civic federation issued an appeal to the
women of the city in a short. terse cir
cular letter distributed throughout the
residence district. This letter stated
the political situation and asked the wo-
men to stand together for good gov
eminent. On election day they re
ponded and though it was remarked
that a comparatively light vote was
cast and there was absolutely no ex-
citement at the polls, when the ballots
were counted the great majorities re-
corded indicated that work and APP
peals had won.