redentials, he
expressed great satisfaction and said that was just the decision he had
hoped they would make. They quietly entered the hall and took seats
with other ladies at one side of the platform. Immediately Rev.
Mandeville, of Albany, turned his chair around with back to the
audience and, facing them, attempted to stare them out of countenance.
William H. Burleigh, secretary, read the annual report, which closed,
"We hail the formation of the Woman's State Temperance Society as a
valuable auxiliary." This precipitated the discussion. Rev. Mandeville
sprung to his feet and moved to strike out the last sentence. His
speech was filled with such venom and vulgarity as the foulest-mouthed
politician would hesitate to utter. He denounced the Woman's State
Temperance Society and all women publicly engaged in temperance work,
declared the women delegates to be "a hybrid species, half man and half
woman, belonging to neither sex," and announced finally that if this
sentence were not struck out he would dissolve his connection with the
society.

A heated debate followed. Mr. Havens, of New York, offered an amendment
recognizing "the right of women to work in their proper sphere--the
domestic circle." Rev. May, of the Unitarian church, Rev. Luther Lee,
of the Wesleyan Methodist, Hon. A.N. Cole, a leading Whig politician,
and several others, defended the rights of the women in the most
eloquent manner, but were howled down. Miss Anthony made only one
attempt to speak and that was to remind them that over 100,000 of the
signers to a petition for a Maine Law, the previous winter, were women,
but her voice was drowned by Rev. Fowler, of Utica, shouting, "Order!
Order!" Herman Camp, of Trumansburg, the president, ruled that she was
not a delegate and had no right to speak. Amid great confusion the
question was put to vote and the decision of the chair sustained. As no
delegates had yet been accredited, everybody in the house was allowed
to vote, but the secretary, J.T. Hazen, announced that he did not count
the votes of the women!

Rev. Luther Lee at once offered his church to the ladies for an evening
meeting. They had a crowded house, fine speeches and good music, while
the convention was practically deserted, not over fifty being present.
After a masterly speech by Mr. May and stirring remarks from Mr. Lee,
Mrs. Bloomer and others, Miss Anthony made the address of the evening,
which she had prepared for the men's convention