Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1870-05-16

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II IL evident 10 tho most superficial obecryur
that tho tide on which the woman suffrage
movement rode so prosporOusly few months
since has already turned. The advocates OF
the natural right Of every woman 10 play al
being man were 80 nolsy and dcinonstratly,e
that they seemed, a year ago, TO be In fair
way TO scold the mon into An acquIcsccnce In
thoir demands. The cruahlng defeat which
they sustained In tho rocont Vermont eipctlon
was the FIRST Indication Of tilclr rial weak.
moss. Next followed the formation Of large
and powerful anh-sunragc sssotlatlon among
thowomen themselves, which having H. head.
quarters In Peoria rapidly gained adherunts
throughout tho West. Tho example Of the
Pechan women was copied by many Of the
most distinguished women In Washington,
who tfso banded themselves together to pro-
test against the extrayagant yaguries Of tho
wild women. The latter soon became divided
among themselves, and split mp into three OF
four rival bodies hating each other with true
womauly yirulencc. s#.l
And now tho Woman Suffrage Convention,
which Is at present meeting Of stelnway Hall,
has been shocked and dlsmayed by the open
rebellion OF Miss Catherine Beeohcr, who
hurled bombsholl into the midst OF lts nom.
bcrs In the shape Of an essay In opposition TO
the very object for which the convention had
met. Tho surprise excited by this unlocked.
for appearance Of q Beechor In the character
Of q conservative has dompcnod the splrlts OF
NuN WIN NNAlNlls Ahtl NNt0NhIN W NtfOunA
for her want Of faith In progress and truth and
other desirable things with capital lcttcns BY
the obviously weak prctenco that Mise Bccchrr
has chilled her enthusiasm by lifelong do
voton 10 hydrOpathy. Whom II Il reHssnNa
bercd that many Of the moot bcliigotbnt radl-
Gals In politics and religion arc firm believers
In the hydropathic theory that all ills, mental
aud physical can he soaked out Of the system
II sufficient water Is used, the folly OF at
tributing Miss Boechers opposition 70 women
suffrage 10 her watery way Of life IL al once
apparent
colves that the possession Of the ballot would
not materially Affect the condition Of her COX,
and that she Is q woman of too much sonee 10
DO willing TO waste her strength In advocating
undesirable and unattainablO objects The
cause Of woman suffrage Ia plainly on the
wane. hegrcat majority, Of women arc them
selves opposed 70 u, and OF the mon even
those who apparently favor H. do so rather
because OF the amusement which thOy gain
| from the enthusiastic folly of tho Wild women
than hecause they arc really prepared to give
| a serious support to the movement,
| The cause has moreover, suffered greatly
| from the injudlcious manner In which II has
been advocated. Miss Anthony, Mrs. Stanton,
and the other female veterans, are earnest and
| honest women. whom we mnst always respect,
even while we differ from their views. They
have, however, been frequently violent In as
scrtion, and fanatical In their views and
have thus failed 10 mako the impression upon
the public mind which their abilities and their
uiisclfsh devotion 10 thoir hobbies might have
/ made. OF late they have been Joined by q pes
| tllent crew Of noisy and bralnlcss creatures
seeking only notorioty. Divorced women,
women with doubtful regulations and women
with no regulations Ut oil, have thrust them
selves forward as representatives Of the wo-
man suffrage movement, and have brought II
| into serious disrcpute, ~" 20
Young girls who arc not yet Scancd from
the slntc-pcncil diet Of their schoolgirl days,
aud who substitute silly portness for coherent
Ideas, have also mado themselves prominent
ON the platform of women's rights meetings,
and have made the scnslhlc women who adYp-
Gated the same cansc share In the ridiculo
which their Juvenile folly has justly provoked.
| II Miss Anthony expects TO accomplish any
| thing except the ostabllshmcntof clubs Rt which
women may seek a notorlcty which every
modest woman would shun, she must contriye
TO get rid Of the most disrnputablc women and
the SHY schoolgirls who have sought 70 ldcn-
/ tlfy themselves with the movement which she
has go long and 80 ably advocated. As II Il,
ehc Is being pushed into the Underground by
/ those who at the eleventh hour have entered
the vineyard In which shc has tollod during
her life.
by their folly tho cause which a year ago
seemed 80 prosperous has been brought Into
sudden disrepute. She must separate hereeh
from this motley crew, and begin tho fight
anew. She Is bold, honest and capable, The
cause OF which she Il the apostle has strong
arguments 10 support II. These, II advanced
| By women Of character and ability, will COM
mand attention.. hut the folly and indecency
| OF the girls Just out OF pantalettoa, and the
women just escaped from the restraints Of
matrimOny, will only intensity the dlsrepute
/ into which the Woman SUFFRAGE movement Is
| rapidly falling.-N. T. Cnincn.