The invention of machinery, too expensive for use in the home, to do a woman's work, led to the establishment of the factory. Then came the sewing machine, and later the application of steam and other motor forces in running it on a large scale. So that in these things, and almost all others once looked upon as woman's work, her occupations in the home have been taken out of it, and she must follow them in order to maintain her self-respect in making her living. Emancipated from her former duties she has been compelled to find other means of maintenance. Fortunately her education has kept pace with these material changes, fitting her for a wider range of employment, till now, by sheer force of circumstances, she is ably filling most of the positions formerly entered upon by men alone.

We can see from these facts how vain must be the effort, suggested by some late writers, to thrust woman back to her former status. The progress of the ages forbid it!

Strange as it seems it was once believed that children inherited only the father's qualities,but the researches of scientists. as well as common observation have settled that the mother, equally with the father, impressed her characteristics upon their offspring. Another theory now maintained is that the daughter inherits most her father's traits of character and the son those of his mother. If true this cross-inheritance is the law of God working out the evolution of human society. Then the rule, for you and for me, is to give to every human being every privilege which conduces to self-growth and self-development. When we have removed the obstacles men and women will climb together to the heights intended by our God.

Every healthy human mind wants to do something useful, and naturally, when woman's former occupations were gone, she turned to other fields of service. Now all over this broad land, and beyond it, you will find scarcely a human weakness or a vice which woman is not endeavoring to cure. She has grown out of her old time sphere. A new sphere has come, and a new woman has come to fill it.

Why then do you hesitate, my brothers, to give her the ballot? The constitution of this State bars the way and it can

not be changed without the vote of a majority of the men, which must include that large class of men-the ignorant, the illiterate and the vicious. The ignorant man will always object to woman suffrage. He is opposed to progress. But we can convince the intelligent, better class of men. The time has come when men and women must work together for the good of all. It is only a question of the removal of those olden prejudices that have opposed every new movement since the beginning of the world, the shadow of ancient tradition handed down from an earlier time.

Democracy is the fairest form of government the world has yet produced. Democracy is the voice of the whole people, and women are people. It is the duty and the true interest of man to stand for justice in this matter, to prove that he is ready to share with woman the privileges and responsibilities of the government of this Republic.

The audience now enjoyed a song by the choir, and the meeting adjourned for the noon recess.

The house was filled at the appointed hour. opened with music by the choir.

The meeting

On behalf of the Business Committee HENRY S. KENT read the following testimony on Religion, which, on motion, was adopted:

RELIGION.

Resolved, That this meeting hails with satisfaction the growing tendency to emphasize Humanity as the great, practical, central fact in religion. The struggle after the ideal and the increasing sense of universal fellowship are, to our minds and hearts, the best indications of the religious life. We would urge mutual respect in all honest differences of belief; personal struggle toward the better and the best; and the unity of the spirit in human service, as the factors in such religion as is common to all men; a religion whose mission it is to exalt the individual life and save the world.

The following testimony on Temperance was also read, and adopted without discussion:

TEMPERANCE.

In the midst of alarming dangers threatening our demo

cratic institutions and our nation's life we still recognize the drink habit and the legalized drink traffic as also insidious foes of civilization, and believe we should relax no effort by all wise, moral means to establish the self-enacted law of total abstinence in each individual enforced by the human will, and for the total prohibition of the traffic by State and national en

actments.

We deplore and condemn as highly immoral the action of President McKinley in the matter of the canteen in the army, excusing himself on the ground that he could not interfere with so large and important an industry as the liquor business. On motion adopted.

The audience then listened with pleasure to a solo by Miss. Paynter, of Philadelphia.

REV. ANNA H. SHAW then addressed the meeting upon :

WOMAN'S INFLUENCE IN A REPUBLIC,

Of which the following is a fair summary:

The questions you have been considering the last two days closely concern our government, its perpetuity, and its possibilities of decay.

Why have republics existed; along what lines have they grown; and why have they died?

Republics have usually been founded by people with ideas ahead of their time, people willing to become exiles for the sake of establishing and enjoying civil and religious liberty.

They have reached maturity more quickly than other forms of government, and they have died quickly.

A reason for this early decay, as I believe, is that the world has yet had only partial republics. The republics of earlier times were really not such according to the ideas of to-day. In a true republic all the people would have a voice in the government. Our government comes, perhaps, most nearly to the realization of this ideal, yet here only the men vote, and, until recently, only white men.

In a republic the class that votes affects the government, in the long run, along the lines of its nature.

Please note that statement. My argument will hang upon

it.

Through conquest By this means she

Rome was a magnificent military power. Rome became "Mistress of the World." extended her territory and the wealth of conquered nations poured into her treasury. But her vast army and her rich conquests could not save her, and she fell.

Greece, in art and learning, was long pre-eminent. In the Grecian armies were some of the world's greatest heroes. Yet Greece went down.

Venice was renowned for her commerce, and her grand military power. Yet Venice died.

Our republic, founded on advanced ideas of religious and civil liberty, has been built up largely on commercial lines. Inventive genius has done much for it. The spirit which makes men forget pleasure and ease leads on to wonderful accomplishment. The unrest, in view of imperfect conditions surrounding him, the aggressive nature that conquers difficulties, have done much to forward the growth of this republic. War, too. however, we deplore its horrors, has been a large factor in making us what we are.

The republics that have gone down died not from outside assault but from weakness within; from decay of the moral and spiritual nature in the people themselves. They committed suicide.

There are several causes for this decay-disobedience to the statutes of God's law, through intemperance and immorality on various lines. Disobedience to the nation's laws; and the aggressive nature of the people towards one another.

As I have said, In a republic the class that votes affects the government, in the long run, along the lines of its nature. Miss Shaw here gave a number of illustrations, by facts from life, of the power and influence in our government, of the watchful voter,-whether a good or bad man-and of the disadvantages to which the ignorant and the careless voter, and the disfranchised classes, are subjected.

Gamblers and prize-fighters, she said, are a small proportion of our population; yet they affect the government through their votes. They even elect their own men to

Congress, who defend the interests of their constituents. You all know that the liquor interest flourishes under our government because it has power in the caucus, and in all political circles and departments, through the ballot. Deprive it of political power and it would be a shorn Sampson. If in a republic gamblers, liquor-dealers, prize-fighters, etc., as well as good citizens, affect the government through the ballot-if all men of all classes can do so-then women can do so, likewise, in the interest of their homes and to the benefit of their families.

Women are said to be more moral than men. It must be so or we would not be more shocked at immorality in them than in men.

They are more temperate. Only one woman in twentyfive, in Massachusetts, drinks alcoholic liquor, while every other man does so. Yet when we have a temperance question to settle it is put to vote before the brewer, the distiller, the liquor seller and the rest of the men, while the women who have as much at stake as any other class are without a voice; and we wonder why it fails!

The liquor interest knows why, and consistently opposes woman suffrage.

While there remains a business which can reach in across the threshold of the home and lead the father, husband or son of that home into depths of immorality and degradation; a business that wrings joy and happiness from family life, breeds paupers and criminals multitudinous, that blasts the lives of little children from infancy; while such a business is countenanced and protected by law, we must see that all the people, women and men, ought to have a right to decide whether that business shall or shall not continue to curse the world. It is a crime against womanhood that she is compelled to sit voiceless and see this condition of things go on. That women are more religious than men is proverbial. While church congregations number three women to one man we wonder the ministers are so silent on woman suffrage. But ministers as a rule are not worldly wise. The saloonkeeper has more influence than the