man's absolute
control. His canon and civil laws alike have made marriage for
her a condition of slavery, from which she is now seeking
emancipation; and just in proportion as women become independent and
self-supporting, they will sunder the ties that bind them in
degrading relations.

In September, 1880, Governor Hoyt was petitioned to appoint a woman
as member of the State Board of Commissioners of Public Charities.
The special business of this commission is to examine into the
condition of all charitable, reformatory and correctional
institutions within the State, to have a general oversight of the
methods of instruction, the well-being and comfort of the inmates,
with a supervision of all those in authority in such institutions.
Dr. Susan Smith of West Philadelphia, from the year of the cruel
imprisonment of the unfortunate Hester Vaughan, regularly for
twelve years poured petitions into both houses of the legislature,
numerously signed by prominent philanthropists, setting forth the
necessity of women as inspectors in the female wards of the jails
of the State, and backing them by an array of appalling facts, and
yet the legislature, from year to year, turned a deaf ear to her
appeals. Happily for the unfortunate wards of the State, the law
passed in 1881.

STATE HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE, NORRISTOWN, Pa., Sept. 28, 1885.

MY DEAR MISS ANTHONY: I have referred your letter to my old
friend, Dr. Hiram Corson, of Plymouth, Pa., who can, if he will,
give a much better history of the movement in this State, than
any one else, being one of the pioneers. I hope that you will
hear from him. If, however, he returns your letter to me, I will
give you the few facts that I know. I should be glad to have you
visit our hospital and see our work.

Very respectfully yours, ALICE BENNETT.

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., Oct. 2, 1885.

MISS SUSAN B. ANTHONY: _Esteemed Friend_:--Dr. Alice Bennett has
referred your letter with questions to me. Alice Bennett, M. D.,
Ph. D., is chief physician of the female department of the
eastern hospital of Pennsylvania, for the insane. She is also
member of the Montgomery County Medical Society, and member of
the Medical Society of the State of Pennsylvania. She is the only
woman in the civilized world, of whom I have ever heard, who has
entire charge of the f