It was overwhelmingly defeated, a decision that was overwhelmingly criticized by the influential newspapers of the time, including the New York Times. Imagine how this nation's history might have been altered had Catto been as successful changing baseball as he was with the seating policy of streetcars and the practical application of the 15th Amendment as it pertained to voting rights for African-Americans. Simply put, Catto's views were decades ahead of their time, which ultimately cost him decades of his time on Earth.