e would find its most hopeful and
fertile field among the labor organizations," she said; "the
workingmen stood for weak and defenseless women even before they did
for their own rights." From Samuel Gompers, president of the
Federation, she read the following letter:

The American Federation of Labor, at every convention where the
subject has been brought up and discussed, has unfalteringly
declared for equal legal, political and economic rights for
women. At the convention held in Detroit, some thirteen years
ago, a resolution to that effect was unanimously adopted. A
petition to Congress for the submission of a constitutional
amendment enfranchising women was circulated among our various
unions, and within two months it received nearly 300,000
signatures and indorsements.

At the Kansas City convention last December, the question of
woman's work was discussed, and the following declaration was
unanimously adopted: "In view of the awful conditions under which
woman is compelled to toil, this, the eighteenth annual
convention of the American Federation of Labor, strongly urges
the more general formation of trade unions of wage-working women,
to the end that they may scientifically and permanently abolish
the terrible evils accompanying their weakened, because
unorganized state; and we emphatically reiterate the trade-union
demand that women receive equal compensation for equal service
performed."

You will see that there ought to be no question as to the
attitude of the organized labor movement on this subject,
notwithstanding the designing misrepresentations of enemies of
our cause, who seek to place our movement in a false light. Let
me say, too, that the declaration just quoted is not for
compliment merely, for members of many of our organizations have
been involved in long and sacrificing contests in order to secure
to women equal pay for equal work. Please convey fraternal
greetings to our friends who will meet at Grand Rapids.

When Mrs. Loraine Immen came forward with a greeting from the Michigan
Elocutionists' Association, Miss Anthony spoke of the great change
which had taken place in women's voices in the last twenty-five years.
At an early Woman's Rights Convention, when she insisted that they
should speak louder, one of them answered, "We are not here to
scree