f frightened and wholly indignant;
and the deliberations of the sovereign voters were undisturbed
for several hours thereafter by word or sign from women. At last
they got to discussing a bill for a prohibitory liquor law, and
the heat of debate ran high. During the excitement somebody
carried a note to the presiding officer, who read it, smiled,
colored, and rising, said: "We are hearing nothing from the
ladies, and yet they constitute a large majority of this
Alliance. Mrs. Duniway, will you not favor us with a speech?"

I was taken wholly by surprise, but sprang to my feet and said:
"Mr. President: I have always wondered what it was that consumed
so much time in men's conventions. I hope gentlemen will pardon
the criticism, but you talk too much, and too many of you try to
talk at once. My head is aching from the roar and din of your
noisy orators. Gentlemen, what does it all amount to? You are
talking about prohibition, but you overestimate your political
strength. Disastrous failures attend upon all your endeavors to
conquer existing evils by the votes of men alone. Give women the
legal power to combat intemperance, and they will soon be able to
prove that they do not like drunken husbands any better than men
like drunken wives. Make women _free_. Give them the power the
ballot gives to you, and the control of their own earnings which
rightfully belong to them, and every woman will be able to settle
this prohibition business in her own home and on her own account.
Men will not tolerate drunkenness in their wives; and women will
not tolerate it in husbands unless compelled to."

A prominent clergyman arose, and said: "Mr. President: I charge
the sins of the world upon the mothers of men. There are twenty
thousand fallen women in New York--two millions of them in
America. We cannot afford to let this element vote." Before I was
aware of what I was doing I was on my feet again. Shaking my
finger at the clergymen, I exclaimed: "How _dare_ you make such
charges against the mothers of men? You tell us of two millions
of fallen women who, you say, would vote for drunkenness; but
what say you, sir, to the twenty millions of fallen men--all
voters--whose patronage alone enables fallen women to live? Would
you disfranchise them, sir? I pronounce y