March 10, 1912: "Mrs. Duniway is Ill"

An important aspect of the 1912 Oregon suffrage campaign was the illness of 77-year-old, first generation suffrage leader Abigail Scott Duniway. As I've noted in previous posts, Duniway was in conflict with national suffrage leaders and with local leaders, including Esther Pohl and Sarah Evans.

Her illness throughout the campaign meant that Viola Coe would be honorary chair of the Oregon State Equal Suffrage Association, that there would be additional room for new suffrage organizations and coalition building, and that second-generation suffragists like Pohl would have more opportunity to direct new-style campaigns geared to popular culture and mass advertising.

Throughout 1912 newspaper accounts recounted the ups and downs in Duniway's health, beginning with this March 10, 1912 report in the Oregonian:

"Mrs. Duniway is Ill," Oregonian, March 10, 1912, 4.