hers could not unless they
held real estate. The story was also set afloat that the
attorney-general had indorsed this statement; which that
gentleman promptly repudiated. All this we corrected as fast and
as far as we could; but it unavoidably did much harm.

Wholesale hindrance and terrorism too, were used. A few samples
are these: In Albany, many women were threatened by their own
husbands with expulsion from house and home, imprisonment, bodily
violence or death if they dared vote; while many others were
deterred by insults and threats of social persecution. Many
persons ridiculed and abused those who sought to vote. In some
districts the inspectors refused to register qualified women,
while in others votes were refused. Statements were widely
published that the law did not apply to Albany. In Knowersville,
the village teacher went to every house, and threatened the women
with state-prison if they dared to vote. In Mount Morris, the
president of the Board of Education denounced the ladies who
induced others to vote. In Fayetteville, Saratoga and elsewhere,
the ladies' request for some share in making the tickets was
scornfully ignored. In Port Jervis, the Board of Education
declined a hall that was offered, and had the election in a low,
dirty little room. Smoke was puffed in the ladies' faces,
challenges were frequent, and all sorts of impudent questions
were asked of the voters. In Long Island City many ladies were
challenged, and stones were thrown in the street at Mrs. Emma
Gates Conkling, the lady who was most active in bringing out the
new voters. In New Brighton, the village paper threatened the
women with jail if they voted; and when a motion was made in one
district that the ladies be invited to attend, a large negative
vote was given, one man shouting, "We have enough of women at
home; we don't want'em here!" At West New Brighton it was openly
announced that the meeting should be too turbulent for ladies,
insomuch that many who intended to go staid away, and the few who
went were obliged to wait till all the men had voted. In Newham a
gang of low fellows took possession of the polling place early,
filled it with smoke of the worst tobacco, and covered the floor
with tobacco juice; and through all this the few ladies who
ven