Having been urged to give a report of what occurred at the conference this morning, I submit the following:

A delegation of West Virginians called upon Chairman Henry of the Rules Committee on Friday morning, June 5th, to ask him to report at once Resolution No. 514, allowing a vote to be taken on the Bristow-Mondell Amendment in the House.

The members of the deputation were Representative and Mrs. Hunter H. Moss of Parkersburg, Representative H. M. Neely [sic] of Fairmont, Mrs. G. W. Lowe and Miss Elizabeth Geary of Harper’s Ferry, and myself. I was asked to be spokesman of the delegation.

Representatives Moss and Neely are both popular men in their home towns and have shown much enthusiasm in the suffrage work. Representative Moss, previous to his election, was an able judge in his own district, being one of the youngest judges in the State. Mr. Neely is among the brilliant lawyers of his State, and has been called the “Demosthenes” of West Virginia. Mr. Moss is a Democrat and Mr. Neely a Republican.

I am told that Chairman Henry has been playing the ground hog game, emerging only when he felt sure there were no suffragists about. He had been called upon earlier in the morning by a delegation of social workers whom he had refused to see, so it was a fortunate and dramatic moment when, in passing through Statuary Hall, we accidently encountered Mr. Henry. Mr. Neely stopped him and in a friendly and intimate way called out, “Come here, Bob, we want to see you.” Mr. Henry came back and smiled genially when he realized there was no escape.

Congressman Moss introduced the members of the delegation to Mr. Henry and announced that these women had come all the way from West Virginia to talk to him about the Suffrage Resolution now before his committee. The following dialogue then took place:

Mrs. McNeilan: “We have come to ask you to get your committee to report favorably this resolution” (No. 514).

Mr. Henry: “We are going to.”

Mrs. McNeilan: “When will it be done?”

Mr. Henry: “I cannot say just when. It may not be at this session, but certainly during this Congress. As a matter of fact, it would be well for you to have the vote taken before next January, at which time the various legislatures meet.”

Mrs. McNeilan: “You are sure it will come to a vote before this January?”

Mr. Henry: “Yes, the members will have a chance to go on record by that time. Get your own men pledged.” (Meaning the West Virginia Representatives.)

Mrs. McNeilan: “w[e] have both of them. We can absolutely count of them.” (Referring to Congressmen Moss and Neely.)

Mr. Henry: “Get all your West Virginia men in Congress pledged and then let me know.”

Mr. Neely: “I am ready to vote for it at any time, but I supposed that all that would be necessary would be to get the Democratic majority pledged.”

After some bantering words from Congressmen Moss and Neely, and with a final word of assurance that the Rules Committee would report the resolution, Mr. Henry bowed himself away.