The Woman's Hour

Despite her private worries about the probability of winning ratification in Tennessee, Catt brings pressure to bear on all the decision-makers involved in the process:

Now was that time, to crank her political pressure machine—a multitiered engine designed to exert force downward from the White House, the presidential candidates, and national parties and upward from the people of Tennessee—all energies focused on squeezing the governor and men of the statehouse (142).

Catt deploys a ground team to track down representatives from far-flung regions to get them to sign a pledge to vote for ratification. At the same time, she tackles the business community by addressing its leaders. Her speeches point out the logical and practical reasons why it is in Tennessee’s best interests to support the amendment.

Since Catt knows that politicians want to align themselves with the winning side, she issues a press release announcing that ratification is certain in Tennessee. The Suffs have collected more than enough pledges to guarantee a positive outcome. Although her statistics don’t quite back up that claim, and her announcement is a tad premature, Catt is an optimist.