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incomplete reminiscences will permit； other inci…
dents that occurred on its banks。
Of these the most important was the union in
1889 of the two great suffrage societiesthe Ameri…
can Association； of which Lucy Stone was the presi…
dent； and the National Association； headed by Susan
B。 Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton。 At a
convention held in Washington these societies were
merged as The National American Woman Suffrage
Associationthe name our association still bears
and Mrs。 Stanton was elected president。 She was
then nearly eighty and past active work； but she
made a wonderful presiding officer at our subsequent
meetings； and she was as picturesque as she was
efficient。
Miss Anthony； who had an immense admiration
for her and a great personal pride in her； always
escorted her to the capital； and； having worked her
utmost to make the meeting a success； invariably
gave Mrs。 Stanton credit for all that was accom…
plished。 She often said that Mrs。 Stanton was the
brains of the new association； while she herself was
merely its hands and feet； but in truth the two
women worked marvelously together； for Mrs。
Stanton was a master of words and could write and
speak to perfection of the things Susan B。 Anthony
saw and felt but could not herself express。 Usually
Miss Anthony went to Mrs。 Stanton's house and
took charge of it while she stimulated the venerable
president to the writing of her annual address。
Then； at the subsequent convention； she would listen
to the report with as much delight and pleasure as
if each word of it had been new to her。 Even after
Mrs。 Stanton's resignation from the presidency
at the end； I think； of three yearsand Miss An…
thony's election as her successor； ‘‘Aunt Susan'' still
went to her old friend whenever an important reso…
lution was to be written； and Mrs。 Stanton loyally
drafted it for her。
Mrs。 Stanton was the most brilliant conversa…
tionalist I have ever known； and the best talk I
have heard anywhere was that to which I used to
listen in the home of Mrs。 Eliza Wright Osborne；
in Auburn； New York； when Mrs。 Stanton； Susan
B。 Anthony； Emily Howland； Elizabeth Smith
Miller； Ida Husted Harper； Miss Mills； and I were
gathered there for our occasional week…end visits。
Mrs。 Osborne inherited her suffrage sympathies； for
she was the daughter of Martha Wright； who； with
Mrs。 Stanton and Lucretia Mott； called the first
suffrage convention in Seneca Falls； New York。 I
must add in passing that her son； Thomas Mott
Osborne； who is doing such admirable work in
prison reform at Sing Sing； has shown himself worthy
of the gifted and high…minded mother who gave him
to the world。
Most of the conversation in Mrs。 Osborne's home
was contributed by Mrs。 Stanton and Miss Anthony；
while the rest of us sat； as it were； at their feet。
Many human and feminine touches brightened the
lofty discussions that were constantly going on； and
the varied characteristics of our leaders cropped up
in amusing fashion。 Mrs。 Stanton； for example； was
rarely accurate in giving figures or dates； while Miss
Anthony was always very exact in such matters。
She frequently corrected Mrs。 Stanton's statements；
and Mrs。 Stanton usually took the interruption in
the best possible spirit； promptly admitting that
‘‘Aunt Susan'' knew best。 On one occasion I re…
call； however； she held fast to her opinion that she
was right as to the month in which a certain inci…
dent had occurred。
‘‘No； Susan；'' she insisted； ‘‘you're wrong for
once。 I remember perfectly when that happened；
for it was at the time I was beginning to wean
Harriet。''
Aunt Susan； though somewhat staggered by the
force of this testimony； still maintained that Mrs。
Stanton must be mistaken； whereupon the latter
repeated； in exasperation； ‘‘I tell you it happened
when I was weaning Harriet。'' And she added；
scornfully； ‘‘What event have you got to reckon
from？''
Miss Anthony meekly subsided。
Mrs。 Stanton had wonderful blue eyes； which
held to the end of her life an expression of eternal
youth。 During our conventions she usually took
a little nap in the afternoon； and when she awoke
her blue eyes always had an expression of pleased
and innocent surprise； as if she were gazing on
the world for the first timethe round； unwinking；
interested look a baby's eyes have when something
attractive is held up before them。
Let me give in a paragraph； before I swing off into
the bypaths that always allure me； the consecutive
suffrage events of the past quarter of a century。
Having done this； I can dwell on each as casually
as I choose； for it is possible to describe only a few
incidents here and there； and I shall not be depart…
ing from the story of my life； for my life had become
merged in the suffrage cause。
Of the preliminary suffrage campaigns in Kansas；
made in company with ‘‘Aunt Susan；'' I have al…
ready written； and it remains only to say that dur…
ing the second Kansas campaign yellow was adopted
as the suffrage color。 In 1890； '92； and '93 we again
worked in Kansas and in South Dakota； with such
indefatigable and brilliant speakers as Mrs。 Catt
（to whose efforts also were largely due the winning
of Colorado in '93）； Mrs。 Laura Johns of Kansas；
Mrs。 Julia Nelson； Henry B。 Blackwell； Dr。 Helen
V。 Putnam of Dakota； Mrs。 Emma Smith DeVoe；
Rev。 Olympia Browne of Wisconsin； and Dr。 Mary
Seymour Howell of New York。 In '94； '95； and '96
special efforts were devoted to Idaho； Utah； Cali…
fornia； and Washington； and from then on our
campaigns were waged steadily in the Western
states。
The Colorado victory gave us two full suffrage
states； for in 1869 the Territory of Wyoming had en…
franchised women under very interesting conditions；
not now generally remembered。 The achievement
was due to the influence of one woman； Esther
Morris； a pioneer who was as good a neighbor as
she was a suffragist。 In those early days； in homes
far from physicians and surgeons； the women cared
for one another in sickness； and Esther Morris； as it
happened； once took full and skilful charge of a
neighbor during the difficult birth of the latter's
child。 She had done the same thing for many other
women； but this woman's husband was especially
grateful。 He was also a member of the Legislature；
and he told Mrs。 Morris that if there was any
measure she wished put through for the women of
the territory he would be glad to introduce it。
She immediately took him at his word by asking
him to introduce a bill enfranchising women； and
he promptly did so。
The Legislature was Democratic； and it pounced
upon the measure as a huge joke。 With the amiable
purpose of embarrassing the Governor of the ter…
ritory； who was a Republican and had been appointed
by the President； the members passed the bill and
put it up to him to veto。 To their combined horror
and amazement； the young Governor did nothing
of the kind。 He had come； as it happened； from
Salem； Ohio； one of the first towns in the United
States in which a suffrage convention was held。
There； as a boy； he had heard Susan B。 Anthony
make a speech； and he had carried into the years
the impression it made upon him。 He signed that
bill； and； as the Legislature could not get a two…
thirds vote to kill it； the disgusted members had to
make the best of the matter。 The following year
a Democrat introduced a bill to repeal the measure；
but already public sentiment had changed and he
was laughed down。 After that no further effort
was ever made to take the ballot away from the
women of Wyoming。
When the territory applied for statehood； it was
feared that the woman…suffrage clause in the con…
stitution might injure its chance of admission； and
the women sent this telegram to Joseph M。 Carey：
‘‘Drop us if you must。 We can trust the men of
Wyoming to enfranchise us after our territory be…
comes a state。''
Mr。 Carey discussed this telegram with the other
men who were urging upon Congress the admission
of their territory； and the following reply went
back：
‘‘We may stay out of the Union a hundred years；
but we will come in with our women。''
There is great inspiration in those two messages
and a great lesson； as well。
In 1894 we conducted a campaign in New York；
when an effort was made to secure a clause to en…
franchise women in the new state constitution； and
for the first time in the history of the woman…suf…
frage movement many of the influential women in
the state and city of New York took an active part
in the work。 Miss Anthony was； as always； our
leader and greatest inspiration。 Mrs。 John Brooks
Greenleaf was state president； and Miss Mary
Anthony was the most active worker in the Roches…
ter headquarters。 Mrs。 Lily Devereaux Blake had
charge of the campaign