crooked people and things the temperance cause has been burdened with during the years of its progress!  To our mind this conspiracy of women to crush the cause by making it the bearer of their woman’s rights absurdities, is the saddest of all the phenomena of the reform.

The New York Courier, James Watson Webb, editor, gave its readers the following Sunday article: 

Anniversary week has the effect of bringing to New York many strange specimens of humanity, masculine and feminine.  Antiquated and very homely females made themselves ridiculous by parading the streets in company with hen-pecked husbands, attenuated vegetarians, intemperate Abolitionists and sucking clergymen, who are afraid to say “no” to a strong-minded woman for fear of infringing upon her rights.  Shameless as these females—­we suppose they were females—­looked, we should really have thought they would have blushed as they walked the streets to hear the half-suppressed laughter of their own sex and the remarks of men and boys.  The Bloomers figured extensively in the anti-slavery amalgamation convention, and were rather looked up to, but their intemperate ideas would not be tolerated in the temperance meeting at the Brick Chapel....

A scene of the utmost confusion prevailed and there was a perfect warfare of tongues; but, singular to say, the women were compelled to hold their tongues and depart, followed by a number of male Betties and subdued husbands, wearing the apparel of manhood, but in reality emasculated by strong-minded women....

    So the Bloomers put their credentials in their breeches pockets and
    assembled at Dr. Trail’s Cold Water Institute, where the men and
    Bloomers all took a bath and a drink together.

These sentiments were echoed by the newspapers, great and small, of the entire country.  Not a word in regard to “women’s rights” had been uttered at the Brick Church meeting except the right to have their credentials from regularly-organized temperance societies accepted, and the same privileges as other delegates granted.  The continual reference to the “warfare of tongues” is rather amusing in face of the fact that no woman was allowed to speak and the talking was entirely monopolized by men.  Is it a matter of surprise that only a very limited number of women had the courage to ally themselves with a movement which called down upon them and their families such an avalanche of ridicule and condemnation?

Miss Anthony, on reaching home, immediately began active preparations for the first annual meeting of the Woman’s State Temperance Society, which was to be held in Rochester.  As usual she wrote hundreds of letters, raised the money, printed and circulated the call, looked after the advertising, engaged the speakers and took the whole responsibility.  The convention assembled in Corinthian Hall, June 1, 1853, with a large attendance.  Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the president, after stating that the society had over 2,000 members, and was in a most flourishing condition, said: