The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1867-08-16
THE FEMALE SUFFRAGE MEETING

THE FEMALE SUFFRAGE MEETING.
In accordance with previous announce
ment, public meeting in the interests Of
Female Suffrage was he'd at the School
House in Emporia last Saturday evening.
"Miss Bessie Bisbee, of Vermont" was
advertised to speak. There was fair
turnout, and the audience was more large
ly composed Of ladies than at any similar
meeting heretofore held in EmPnria
Judge Watson called the meeting to order
and made few remarks on the Suffrage
Question, and then introduced Miss
Bisbee, well-dreseed and not unlikely
looking specimen of gisl. who thereup
on delivered q school girl effort iE favor Of
Female Suffrage, the most considerable
and important portion OF (which was deVOt
ed to detailed account of the mental and
moral characteristic and condition of the
great army of prostitutes of New York
city, and which was treated in a manner
indicating a thorough acquaintance with
the subject, but the application of which
TO Kansas We fail to see the point Of.
Taken altogether Mss Bisbee's
effort was not discreditabe to her, as
We are not aware that she enjoys any
great reputation either as speaker or think
or. Nothing new was advanced. but the
ordinary ad eGptandums arguments were
fairly rehearsed. The most obvious com
meut upon Miss Bsbss's "eforl" was
we'll expressed by an auditor who sal /
that" it was hardly worth while coming
al the way from Vermont for the pur-
pose of delivering Oh speech as thai"
After Miss Bisbse came not the delugs,
exactly, but Sam Wood. Sam WASN'T in
the bills, but We don't know how to sx-
press our qualification that he took it into
his head TO be present and speak. Sam s
jokes are generally fair, AID always make
up iu'quantity what they lack in qualify.
Sam is comPlimentiug the intelligence OF
the people by trying to Joke through
grave political proposition. Bat on
this occasion Sans jokes were mainly on
the funeral order, bat what they lack ed
in smartuess was made up in smut
Blackguardism was the chief feature Of
Sans speech, and more than once, did bs
bring the blush of shame to the cheeks OF
the ladies present. Courtesy took wide
range when it restrained The audience
from Kissing him down. The only argu-
ment was that as our forefathers had said
tina: taxation without represen tation"
was tyranny, so TO tax the wo
men aud not let them vote was ty
ranical and unjust. The obvious com
ment on this. that our forefathers- ia xed
the women and did not let them vote,
while they fought Great Britain for male
representation, either destroys the fore
fathers as authority, OF Sans application
Of their axiom. e.- a..
Sans speech abuudandy confirmed
many people 10 their opinion tina: man
suffrage would result in the degradation
of the sex, and we know of several who
were before doubtful who are now strong
ly opposed to Impartial Suffrage as ex-
pounded by Sam Wood; and here is wher e
our obligation to Sam, heretofore express
ed, comes in.
At the conclusion of Sans speech there
were calls for Mr. Eskridge, who. however.
declined to speak owing TO The lateuess Of
the hour and to the fact that The meeting
had been called in the interests of Female
Suffrage.
Cannot this question OF Female Stuff
rage be discussed in decent and digni
fed manner? Are our fears of the { feet
of Suffrage upon the women to be more
than justified 10 advance? We bear Mrs
Gage and Mrs. Stanton spoil en- of as no
Bile women. We hope that they are, and
that they will speedily come and champion
their cause. which has fallen INTO bad
hands. We want to hear this question
discussed in the light of religion aud good
morals athO"ae as well as in politics; Of
its effect upon the social relations of the
sexes, and upon the solemn sacrament of
marriage. and also in regard to the duties
of men and women to each other and TO
society, as well as mere abstract rights
Certainly these questions. involving all
that is pure and holy 10 the nature CT me
and women; ali that is delicate in the re-.
lation OF the sexes. underlying society,
order, viFtne and good government; sure
ly they can be discussed without Offend
ing against mOdesty or morals. If not
then judgment will soon stand confessed
against Female Suffrage.
We see that the editor of the Conser
va'ive feels very sore about our remarks
4 bOnE his houinor