at the earnings of a married woman may be secured to her
own use; that married women may have the same right to their own
property that married men have; and that the mother may have an
equal right with the father to the custody of the children." The
need of such a committee existed in that year of 1869, and they
seemed to have wrought effective service, since on March 24 the
married woman's earnings act was approved.

AN ACT _in Relation to the Earnings of Married Women._

SEC. 1.--Be it enacted by the people of the State of
Illinois, represented in the General Assembly, That a
married woman shall be entitled to receive, use and possess
her own earnings, and sue for the same in her own name, free
from the interference of her husband or his creditors:
_Provided_, This act shall not be construed to give to the
wife any compensation for any labor performed for her minor
children or husband.

Mrs. Livermore, Mrs. Stanton, Judge Waite, Judge and Mrs.
Bradwell, had an enthusiastic meeting in the Opera House,
Springfield, most of the members of the legislature being
present.

September 9, 10, 1869, the Western Convention was held in Library
Hall, Chicago; Mrs. Livermore presided. This influential
gathering was largely attended by leading friends from other
States.[358] Mrs. Kate Doggett and Dr. Mary Safford were
appointed to attend the Woman's Industrial Congress at Berlin.
Letters were read from Wm. Lloyd Garrison and others.[359]

February 8, 9, 1870, the first annual meeting of the State
Association was held at Springfield in the Opera House, Hon.
James B. Bradwell in the chair. Many members of the legislature
were present during the various sessions and a hearing[360]
before the House was granted next day. Resolutions were discussed
and adopted, declaring that women were enfranchised under the
fourteenth amendment. As a constitutional convention was in
session, and there was an effort being made to have an amendment
for woman suffrage submitted to a vote of the people, greater
interest was felt in all that was said at this convention.

The strange inconsistency of the opponents of woman suffrage was
perhaps never more fully illustrated than by the following
occurrence: While the patri