the printed column, entitled "Concerning Women," sent out gratis
every week during the year 1882, by Mrs. Lucy Stone, from the
office of _The Woman's Journal_, to all newspapers that would
publish it. Many Kansas editors availed themselves of this
generous offer, greatly to the advantage of their patrons and
themselves.

But to return to the Lincoln Woman Suffrage Association. The
first year our membership increased to twenty-seven; the second,
to forty, including six gentlemen. We did not invite gentlemen to
join the first year; owing to the character and attitude of the
opposition, we preferred to demonstrate our ability to conduct
the affairs of the society without masculine assistance. During
our six years' existence we have enrolled eighty members,
eighteen of whom are gentlemen. Of this number, forty-five women
and fourteen men still reside in Lincoln county. We have held, on
an average, one parlor meeting a month and ten public meetings.

In 1880, Mesdames Emily J. Biggs, Mary Crawford, Bertha H.
Ellsworth and myself were assigned places on the programme for
the Fourth of July celebration, after solicitation by a committee
from our society. To me was assigned the reading of the
Declaration of Independence, and I embraced the opportunity of
interspersing a few remarks not found in that honored document,
to the delight of our friends and the disgust of our foes. The
other ladies all made original, excellent and well-timed
addresses. In 1881 we got up the Fourth of July celebration[475]
ourselves, and gave the men half the programme without their
asking for it. In 1883 we had a "Foremothers' Day" celebration,
and confined the programme to our own society. In September,
1882, the society sent the writer as delegate to the annual
meeting of the National Woman Suffrage Association, held at
Omaha, Nebraska; and in March, 1884, we sent Bertha H. Ellsworth
to the Washington convention in the same capacity. Our society
has taken an active part in the annual school district elections
in Lincoln Centre. In the last five elections we have been twice
defeated and three times successful. Our defeats we claimed as
victories, inasmuch as we forced our opponents to bring out all
their friends to outvote us. Fifty per cent. of all the votes
cas