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have been eight or ten different suffrage societies in New York, probably more than that. I remember Mrs. Catt saying once, when somebody suggested that we coordinate and merge them, “Oh, no, don't do that. The girls have such a good time being presidents of them.” Then she said something that's very wise. “It's better to keep organizations small because then people in this movement can associate in groups that are naturally sympathetic and where the variations on the basic idea just suit them. Also by that kind of organization they not only have the stimulus of office holding, but they have the tremendous educative experience of taking responsibility. If you get a great big merged organization only a few people can be officers or chairmen of committees. When it's all broken up like this, a great many people get that experience and they get the experience of going out and doing organization for that group. Just so we don't find each other. Just so as we keep together on the basic idea and work one way or another.”

I didn't do very much. I went to meetings. I stood up and was counted. I signed petitions. My talent for making a speech was discovered rather early. I had a good voice and a strong one. I had somehow acquired the ability to put one word after the other in a coherent way, so I was called upon to make speeches. You went anywhere you were