wrested, and a public opinion slowly
created that promises other victories in the near future.

Those who have not been through the conflict will never realize how
dark the prospect was in starting. Denied education, and a place in
the world of work, denied the rights of property, whether of her own
earnings, or her inheritance, with the press and the pulpit, custom,
and public opinion sustaining the law, was there ever a struggle
entered upon, which at its beginning seemed more hopeless than this
for woman? But these constant presentations of the laws, with the
comments and arguments in our Conventions, gradually appealed to the
understanding of sensible men and women, and opened the eyes of the
community to the wrongs of woman, perpetrated under the specious name
of justice.

All the sessions of this Convention were interrupted by the rowdyism
of a number of men occupying the rear part of the hall.

PARKER PILLSBURY said he had attended three of these Conventions,
but had not spoken in one before. He thought the ladies
encroached a little on the men's rights, as in the first and
second, the Methodists gave the ladies the use of their church in
a city of the West, on condition that Parker Pillsbury should not
be allowed to speak. [Applause and laughter]. Now that the door
was open, and he had ventured in, he did not know what to say.
[Laughter and cries of "Go on"]. He would recommend the women to
hold their next Convention at the ballot-box, as that would do
more good than a hundred such as these. If their votes were
refused, let them look the tax collectors in the face and defy
them to come for taxes, as long as they were not allowed a voice
in the Government. And carry the war into the Church, too, demand
equality there as well as in the State.

He knew an orthodox church, consisting of twelve members. One was
a man and a deacon, the remainder were women. A vote had to be
taken for changing the day for the prayer-meeting, but some
difficulty arose between the minister and the deacon, and the
only way it could be settled was by the votes of the women. So
the deacon went round on tip-toe, and put his head under each
bonnet, and held a little private caucus meeting with one after
another, and then returned to the altar and reported to the
minister that the vote was unanimous. If women had any proper