The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-12-21
TILE COMING WOMAN.
Meeting of the Female Suffrage
Association at Bridgeport.
TresbyteTians, Quakers and Spiritualis!s Upon
the Same Platform.
Description Of tho Connecticut Lionesses--
They Roar as Gently as Sucking
Doves-Scenes and Incidents.

DOves-Scenes and Incidents.
Pursuant to notice to that effect given through the
local papers several days previously tue Connecu-
cut Woman Suffrage Association held special SEES
sion in Franklin Hall. Bridgeport on Monday after
noon and evening OF the present week.
the meeting in the afternoon was announced as
preparatory or business meeting, to which no adj
mission fee would be charged, and an invitation was
extended for the pubic to be present Notwith-
standing these Inducements the audience was slen-
der one, numbering but a little over hundred per
sons Occupying the platform were
THREE NOTED CLERGYMEN,
belonging TO the Universaist and Spiriualist ORDERS
well known as leaders in the woman suffrage move
ment
In the absence OF the president Of the associa-
ton, Rev. DR.. N. G. Burton, OF Hartford
the meeting was called to order by one OF
them, the Rev. Miss Olympia Brown pastor OF the
Unlversalst church in Bridgeport who was also the
first speaker. Miss Brown, who is pale, senderly
formed, intelligent-lookDg lady, neatly dressed in
black silk, spoke In strained and slightly cracked
voice. and in a manner evidently modelled upon
that of Anna Dickinson. She commenced by abiding
to the rapid progress made by the cause or woman
suffrage, stating that when, number Of years ago,
she would not say just how many, she was school
girl out in Ohio, she was one OF few slgners or
petition asking that women should have right to
their own property-such thing as female suffrage
was never dreamed Of She admitted that many
women were noz qualified for voting, owing in some
cases to their ignorance and in others to the
frivohty lnseparable from fashionable So
ciety, but many men were equally UNFIT.
she was believer In qualified suffrage,
based upon the intelligence Of the voter, but wished
10 have the two sexes stand upon an equal footing
In this NATTER and the same tests applied In the one
case as in the other Set the standard where you
would, woman was Us capable OF reaching it as was
man. II 1t were to be education she could point
out educated women who could reach It; If 1t were
the possession Of property the lists OF the taxpayers
In all our communities would speak for themselves.
She cared not what the standard might be SO 1t was
the same for man as for woman. After touching
slightly upon the legal disabilities sustained by wo.
men, and relating several humorous instances occur
ring in the experience of one Of her friends who
sided at the South, tending to show the lack OF
mental capacity OF the newly enfranchised
c0lOred man, who yet was endowed with
the ballot from which intelligent women
were debarred, Miss Brown concluded
by saying that there several other speakers
upon the platform. ana more were shortly expected
to arrive, she would not further occupy the time.
tut would call upon her friend. the Rev. Phoebe A.
Hannaford OF New Haven, to address them.
Miss Hannaford declining to bear her testimony
before so small an audience as was present at this
time lady whose clustering rnRlets ami red cheeks
could not fail to suggest the description Of
BLACK EYED SUSAN
given In the ballad mounted the r0Strum. This
was Mrs. Anna Al. Middlebrook, well known to the
people Of Bridgepo,t as leading spirtlallst and
witness Tor the defence In the recent trial OF Miss
While Mrs. Middlebrook was speaking sudden
noise at the entrance OF the hall caused the three
far occupants Of the platform to assume an air OF
expectation, and TO stretch out their neads In that
direction an extremely feminine
The noise was produced " the arrival OF
other ladies' marched upon the stage, whers
they We're introduced to their preaeces-
aRe the ssng part s o wno IS
garded by the lair sex as indispensable upon such
occasions, being omitted. one OF the new corners,
Henry Ward Beecher was the concluding speaker OF
the afternoon session. During her ADDRESS COM
mitee consisting Of Mrs. MddleDrook and Miss Burr
of Hartford sent through the audience TO collect
subscriptions and to ascertain II there were any
street OF the city behalf Of the cause, distributing
tracts at every house. They appeared to meet with
but Indifferent success, and had secured but single
subscription and a promise from waggisn young
gentleman to give his personal attention TO the de-
mands street. Me mt as she
request them to wait until she had finished, IS she
was unaccustomed to speaking IN public that the
noise OF conversation In the room seriously dis
turbed her, and they were Obliged to resume their
places upon the platform.
Unlike those who had preceded her, Mrs. Hooker
made no attempt at oratory, but addressed her
audience in the quiet conversational manner which
one lady would use in speaking to another She
stated briefly and clearly the objects for which the
association had been formed and The means by which
it proposed to accomplish les ends. These were
manly by the circulation or
FOUR LITTLE TRACTS
which had been carefully prepared for general dis.
tribuOn and were now in the hands Of the printer
Three of these treatises related respectively to the
legal disabilities OF woman, the Scripture view OF
the female sex and the influence OF woman upol
tanned Selection Of arguments bearing UPON he
distinguished English authors. She believed that
the position OF most educated women in regard to
dice than by reason, and was similar TO that OF her
own daughter, who replied to her, II cannot answer
not want to see this state OF things in existence
she was herself unaccustomed TO pubcispeaking,
ana 1t was only with the 81 eaest difficulty that she
could to appear before an audience, but she
felt it to be sacred duty to aid the progress Of this
holy cause by every means In her power.
Mrs. HOokers remarks were listened to with deep
attention, and at their close the audience COM
menced to dispense, most OF them highly pleased
with the whole performance, and apparently OF the
mind OF the young lady who called out to her friend
as she was descending from the hall, "Oh dear
did you ever see such funf DID you ever see any,
THE EVENING SESSION,
which commenced at ABOUT eight O'Clock, was much
more fully attended. The audience, which, thanks
to the indeiatigabe eXertisns OF Miss Brown,
bered some three or four hundred. was made up in
part OF Spirtualists, prominent among whom APP
peared the benevolent countenance and patrlarchal
beard OF "Father Swan' brother Of the same
fraternity who acted as usher looked smiling and
happy, showing that the failure Of his attempt un-
der the guidance OF The spirits 70 discover the gold
which undoubtedly is buried in the sands OF
Stratford Point had not affected his genial
disposition. There were also present the
members OF the Uniyersaist congregation over
which the Rev. Miss Brown presldes, three young
ladies' boarding schools and a goodly number OF
citizens and their wives who attended out OF
curiosity
When the nall, which is usually employed for
theatrical and minstrel performances was filled, and
NH had been provided with seats the curtain rose
and revealed to view eight ladies' ana gentlemen
seated like Druids IN leafy grove, while behind
inem some neat and appropriate scenery repre-
sented -. -
A VIEW or SALT RIVER.
The first speaker OF the evening was Judge HS0ker,
of Hartford who delivered a forcible and telling
speech showing that though the cause OF womans
suffrage was new IN this Vicinity, IL had ALREADY
r.inna andy a