ber extended the greetings of the Women's Clubs
of the State; Mrs. Adelaide Ballard, president of the Iowa Suffrage
Association, presented its welcome, and greetings were read from
various Women's Christian Temperance Unions. Miss Anthony responded
briefly, contrasting the welcome by Governor, mayor and different
societies with the olden times when perhaps not one person would
extend a friendly hand to those who attempted to hold a suffrage
meeting. "I hardly know what to say now," she continued. "It is so
much easier to speak when brickbats are flying. But I do rejoice with
you over the immense revolution and evolution of the past twenty-five
years, and I thank you for this cordial greeting."

The meetings were held in the large and well-arranged Christian
Church, with an auditorium seating 1,500. The four daily papers gave
full and fair reports and, although there was no editorial
endorsement, there was no adverse comment. The _Leader_ thus described
the opening session, Tuesday afternoon:

It is doubtful if the church ever before held so many people.
They poured in at all the doors, and the great audience room,
with the balconies and the windows, the choir and the aisles, the
platform and every foot of available space, was early occupied.
There were many gentlemen in the audience, but probably four of
every five were women. The men had come, apparently, to see and
hear Miss Anthony; and when she was done many of them left. It
was such an audience as is not often seen. The ladies were
generally elderly, the great majority beyond middle-age; they had
braved the cold and wind to hear the leader whom they had known
and loved for many years, but whom most of them had never seen.
Their bright faces framed in silvery hair, with brighter eyes
upturned to the speakers, must have been an inspiration to those
on the platform; in the case of Miss Anthony it was plain that
she was indeed inspired by her audience.

There was much rejoicing over the enfranchisement of the women of
Idaho by an amendment to the State constitution during the past year;
and much sorrow over the defeat of a similar amendment in California.
In her president's address Miss Anthony said in part:

The year 1896 witnessed greater successes than any since the
first pronunciamento was made at Seneca Falls, N. Y., July 19,
1848. On January 6 President Cleveland proclai