ant fight for it
on the floor, during which he said: "Is not the right of petition a
constitutional right? Has not woman, in this country at least, risen
above the rim and horizon of servitude, discredit and disgrace, and has
she not a right, representing as she does in many instances great
questions of property, to present her appeals to this national council
and have them wisely and judiciously considered? I think it is due to
our wives, daughters, mothers and sisters to afford them an avenue
through which they can legitimately and judicially reach the ear of this
great nation."

He was ably assisted by Mr. Belford, of Colorado. The measure to appoint
this committee was bitterly opposed by Mr. Reagan, of Texas, who said in
a long speech: "When woman so far misunderstands her duty as to want to
go to working on the roads and making rails and serving in the militia
and going into the army, I want to protect her against it." The vote
resulted--yeas, 85, nays, 124; absent or not voting, 112.

Immediately after the return of members from the holiday recess, Miss
Anthony wrote to each of the 112 asking how he would vote if the
question came up again. To these letters 52 replies were received, 26
from Republicans, all of whom would vote yes; 26 from Democrats, 10 of
whom would vote yes, 10, no; while 6 did not know how they would vote.
As these 36 affirmative votes added to the 85 yeas would so nearly have
overcome the adverse majority, John D. White, of Kentucky, at the
solicitation of Miss Anthony, made another earnest effort in February to
secure the desired committee, but the Democrats refused to allow the
question to come to a vote. She was greatly disappointed at the failure
to get the select committee, but afterwards became of the opinion that
it was more advantageous to return to the old plan of working through
the judiciary committee.

Miss Anthony had to be continually on the alert to head off zealous but
injudicious women who were determined to commit the suffrage movement to
the various ologies and isms of the day, and especially to personal
matters. Even a woman so intellectually great as Mrs. Stanton could not
be relied upon always to make her individual opinions subserve what was
demanded of her position as president of the National Association. In
January Miss Anthony received a document which Mrs. Stanton had prepared
as an "open letter," to be signed by both of them officially and given
to the press, con