promptly signed the bill, and his wife being an earnest
advocate of the measure, the social influence of the family was
all in the right direction. The influence of the church, too, was
in a measure favorable. The Methodist denomination, in its
general conference, passed a resolution indorsing woman suffrage.
Mrs. Stanton, in a letter to the _Golden Age_, said:

During the time I spent in Michigan, speaking every night
and twice on Sunday to crowded houses, I had abundant
opportunities of feeling the pulse of the people, both in
public and private, and it seemed to me that the tide of
popular thought and feeling was running in the right
direction. The people are beginning to regard the idea of
woman's equality with man as not only a political, but a
religious truth, Methodist, Congregational, Presbyterian,
Baptist and Unitarian churches being all alike thrown open
to its consideration. Sitting Sunday after Sunday in the
different pulpits with reverend gentlemen, my discourses
given in the place of the sermon, in the regular services, I
could not help thinking of the distance we had come since
that period in civilization when Paul's word was law, "Let
your women keep silence in the churches." Able men and women
are speaking in every part of the State, and if our triumph
should not be complete at the next election, at all events a
great educational work will have been accomplished in the
distribution of tracts, in the public debates, and in
reviewing the fundamental principles of our government and
religion. Being frequently told that women did not wish to
vote, I adopted the plan of calling for a rising vote at the
close of my lectures, and on all occasions a majority of the
women would promptly rise. Knowing that the men had the
responsibility of voting before their eyes, and might be
diffident about rising, I reversed the manner of expression
in their case, requesting all those in favor of woman
suffrage to keep their seats, and those opposed to rise up,
thus throwing the onerous duty of changing their attitudes
on the opposition. So few arose under such circumstances
that it was somewhat e