In pre-World War I Bluff City, domestic issues overshadowed political conditions in Europe. On the forefront was the women's suffrage movement.

Peck presents a humorous view of this important social issue in United States history.

Mrs. Shambaugh believes it is the duty of every woman to tell her husband how to vote before he goes to the polls. It would be unthinkable for a woman to vote herself. Because bars and saloons are closed on election day, the polls are the place where men hang out and use profanity. On the other hand, Miss Fairweather, the new history teacher, is a suffragette. Only through coercion and a little blackmail does she convince the women of Bluff City, minus Mrs. Shambaugh, to join her on the suffragette's homecoming float.

Peck also humorously contrasts the layers of society in small towns. Although the people interact, high society does...