one whom she believed to be innocent. I have perfect confidence
in her truthfulness and always stoutly assert it."

The New York Sun expressed the general sentiment of the press when it
said in this connection: "Miss Anthony is a lady whose word will
everywhere be believed by those who know anything of her character."
Her home paper, the Democrat and Chronicle, paid this tribute: "Whether
she will make any definite revelations remains to be seen, but whatever
she does say will be received by the public with that credit which
attaches to the evidence of a truthful witness. Her own character,
known and honored by the country, will give importance to any
utterances she may make."

Most of the charges made against her during this ordeal were so
manifestly absurd they did not need refuting, but the oft-repeated
assertions that she believed in what was popularly termed "free love"
were a source of great annoyance. In a letter written at this time to
Elizabeth Smith Miller she thus definitely expressed herself: "I have
always believed the 'variety' system vile, and still do so believe. I
am convinced that no one has yet wrought out the true social system. I
am sure no theory can be correct which a mother is not willing for her
daughter to practice. Decent women should not live with licentious
husbands in the relation of wife. As society is now, good, pure women,
by so living, cover up and palliate immorality and help to violate the
law of monogamy. Women must take the social helm into their own hands
and not permit the men of their own circle, any more than the women, to
be transgressors."

To Mr. Hooker, on this same subject, she wrote: "In my heart of hearts
I hate the whole doctrine of 'variety' or 'promiscuity.' I am not even
a believer in second marriages after one of the parties is dead, so
sacred and binding do I consider the marriage relation." A few extracts
from her diary during these days will show the trend of her thoughts:

Silence alone is all there is for me at present. I appreciate as
never before the value of having lived an open life.... The parlor,
the street corner, the newspapers, the very air seem full of social
miasma.... Sad, sad revelations! There is nothing more demoralizing
than lying. The act itself is scarcely so base as the lie which
denies it.... It is almost an impossibility for a man and a woman
to have a close, sympathetic friendship without the tendrils of one