own
upon the battle-field of life where you have been engaged,
single-handed and alone. Those of us who have had half a century
have seen the ranks of men who started out in life with us
shortened one half as they have gone. Here is a husband, there a
brother or a father, men as dear to us as drops of our own
heart's blood. We have seen them steadily sacrificed by means
more appalling than those of Gettysburg, men literally
slaughtered by licentiousness and drunkenness, and all the while
we have looked on and been able to do nothing, and our agony has
become so great that we exclaim, "Oh, God! why don't these
brothers of ours call us, the reserves, into action? We could
help them."

When I look back to the days of our great war, I remember that
women sprang up every day all over the country--women of whom it
was not before believed there was any patriotic blood in their
veins. We all came together by one common instinct--saying, "What
shall we do?" I could tell you of women who have died from
exposure and suffering in the war. Hundreds of the very best
women of the Northwest went down voluntarily as nurses, and in
other capacities, and assisted suffering and dying men, until
they themselves were almost at death's door. "When women do
military duty, they shall vote!" We _did_ do military duty. We
did not cease our labors till all the soldiers had come home,
wearied with their services. We have earned recognition at the
hands of this government, and we ought to have it. Knowing, then,
the qualities of woman and her courage and bravery under trials,
I can never cease to demand that she shall have just as large a
sphere as man has. All we want is, that you shall leave us free
to act.

Mrs. LIVERMORE then spoke of the attempts of men to define the
sphere of women. Let the sphere of woman be tested by the
aspiration and ability of their own minds, and let it be limited
only by what we are able to do. Don't fear that women will not
marry and make good wives if allowed legal equality with men.
They even now make as good wives as men do husbands. Trust God.
This talk of woman getting out of her sphere is sheer lack of
faith in God. He has given us our natures. The gentlest woman is
transformed into a tigress when you go between her and her