es would be a wise measure for
that party and bring a new element of morality and intelligence
into the body politic. Women are now taking a more active part in
public affairs than ever before and, with political freedom,
always will be the reserved moral power to sustain great men in
their best endeavors.

An interesting conversation followed. Chairman Zebulon B. Vance (N.
C.) asked Mrs. Stanton if women would be willing to go to war if they
had the ballot. She answered that they would decide whether there
should be war. He inquired whether women would not lose their refining
influence and moral qualities if they engaged in men's work. She
replied that there would have to be a definition of "men's work" and
that she found the latter in many avocations, such as washing,
cooking, and selling needles and tape, which might be considered the
work of women. "The moral qualities," she said, "are more apt to grow
when a human being is useful, and they increase in the woman who helps
to support the family rather than in the one who gives herself to
idleness and fashionable frivolities. The consideration of questions
of legislation, finance, free trade, etc., certainly would not degrade
woman, nor is her refinement so evanescent a virtue that it could be
swept away by some work which she might do with her hands. Queen
Victoria looked as dignified and refined in opening Parliament as any
lady one ever had seen."

Miss Susan B. Anthony, who was never so happy as when her beloved
friend was scoring a victory, said there would always be a division of
labor, in time of war as in time of peace. Women would do their share
in the hospitals and elsewhere, and if they were enfranchised, the
only difference would be that they would be paid for their services
and pensioned at the close of the war. Mrs. Colby reminded the
committee that the report of the U. S. Commissioner of Labor showed
that the largest proportion of immoral women came from home life and
the more feminine occupations.

Mrs. Stanton drew from the chairman the admission that his wife wanted
the franchise, and he laughingly admitted that he had had the worst of
the discussion. Senator Allen expressed himself in favor of woman
suffrage, and Senator Charles B. Farwell said, "The suffragists have
logic, argument, everything on their side."

Another heaping was granted by the Senate Committee, February 24, when
they were addressed by the Rev. Anna Ho