the call of Mrs. Woodhull and others for a delegate
convention to form a new party. Miss Anthony was thunderstruck. Not
only had she no knowledge of this action, but she was thoroughly
opposed both to the forming of a new party and to the National
Association's having any share in such a proceeding. She immediately
telegraphed an order to have her name removed from the call, and wrote
back indignant letters of protest against involving the association in
such an affair. A month prior to this, on March 13, she had written
Mrs. Stanton and Mrs. Hooker from Leavenworth:

We have no element out of which to make a political party, because
there is not a man who would vote a woman suffrage ticket if
thereby he endangered his Republican, Democratic, Workingmen's or
Temperance party, and all our time and words in that direction are
simply thrown away. My name must not be used to call any such
meeting. I will do all I can to support either of the leading
parties which may adopt a woman suffrage plank or nominee; but no
one of them wants to do anything for us, while each would like to
use us....

I tell you I feel utterly disheartened--not that our cause is going
to die or be defeated, but as to my place and work. Mrs. Woodhull
has the advantage of us because she has the newspaper, and she
persistently means to run our craft into her port and none other.
If she were influenced by _women_ spirits, either in the body or
out of it, in the direction she steers, I might consent to be a
mere sail-hoister for her; but as it is, she is wholly owned and
dominated by _men_ spirits and I spurn the control of the whole lot
of them, just precisely the same when reflected through her woman's
tongue and pen as if they spoke directly for themselves.

After sending this letter she had supposed the question settled until
she saw this notice, hence her anger and dismay can be imagined.

The regular anniversary meeting of the National Association was to
begin in New York on May 9, and on the 6th Miss Anthony reached the
city to prevent, if possible, the threatened coalition with the
proposed new party. She engaged the parlors of the Westmoreland Hotel
for headquarters and then hastened over to Tenafly to get Mrs. Stanton.
As soon as the suffrage committee opened its business session, Mrs.
Woodhull and her friends appeared by previous arrangement made during
Miss Anthony