anta, for it led our clerical enemy
to repeat his charges against us, and to offer the funeral of Frederick
Douglass as proof that we were hand in glove with the negro race.

Under the gracious direction of Miss Kate Gordon and the Louisiana Woman
Suffrage Association, we held an especially inspiring convention in
New Orleans in 1903. In no previous convention were arrangements
more perfect, and certainly nowhere else did the men of a community
co-operate more generously with the women in entertaining us. A club of
men paid the rent of our hall, chartered a steamboat and gave us a ride
on the Mississippi, and in many other ways helped to make the occasion
a success. Miss Gordon, who was chairman of the programme committee,
introduced the innovation of putting me before the audience for twenty
minutes every evening, at the close of the regular session, as a target
for questions. Those present were privileged to ask any questions they
pleased, and I answered them--if I could.

We were all conscious of the dangers attending a discussion of the negro
question, and it was understood among the Northern women that we must
take every precaution to avoid being led into such discussion. It had
not been easy to persuade Miss Anthony of the wisdom of this course; her
way was to face issues squarely and out in the open. But she agreed that
we must respect the convictions of the Southern men and women who were
entertaining us so hospitably.

On the opening night, as I took my place to answer questions, almost the
first slip passed up bore these words:

What is your purpose in bringing your convention to the South? Is it the
desire of suffragists to force upon us the social equality of black and
white women? Political equality lays the foundation for social equality.
If you give the ballot to women, won't you make the black and white
woman equal politically and therefore lay the foundation for a future
claim of social equality?

I laid the paper on one side and did not answer the question. The second
night it came to me again, put in the same words, and again I ignored
it. The third night it came with this addition:

Evidently you do not dare to answer this question. Therefore our
conclusion is that this is your purpose.

When I had read this I went to the front of the platform.

"Here," I said, "is a question which has been asked me on three
successive nights. I have not answered it because we Northern women had
decide