The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-05-13
THE WOMEN IN COUNCIL.

mere are TWO eAClCluB IStnalo conventions
now i'll session in this city, one at Apollo
Hall, under the stately lead of Mrs. Cady
Stanton, who is undoubtedly the noblest
woman of them oil, and the other at Steinway
Hall, under the vivacious leadership of Grace
Greenwood, who ranks second only to Mrs
Stanton in her especial sphere, if in the pre-
sent conglOmerate condition of the woman
question she has any especial sphere The
feminine agitators have been so long in rebel
lion against the ancient doctrine of womans
sphere being the household that it is almost
rank heresy now to insinuate that they have
any sphere at all, especially as on aspiring
above the household they do not s em to have
secured a very firm foothold outside of it,
The present conventions, however give
some encouraging indications for the final
success of the oppressed sisterhood. One
is the fact that there is formidable split
among them. No great reform has ever sue
ceeded without division and dissensions
among the reformers. When cause is weak
the advocates of it stick close together 1t is
not until 1T becomes strong that they can
afford to divide on the minor questions The
fact that the workingwomen grievances take
up great part of the time of the two con-
ventions is another indication that speaks
well for the possible success of the move
mert Abstract ideas never take hold firmly
on the people. The questions of wages and
of hours of labor are always in order while
the ballot and the right to hold Office are apt
to be very dull subje to the masses. A
working girl who sees a chance to have
her wages increased or her hours of
labor reduced by this movement is
very likely to approve of the principle,
even if she is compelled TO swallow suffrage
and the ballot along with the increased paw.
These cheering indications, and the enlven-
ing news from England, ought to give our
revolutionary damsels confidence enough to
carry on the movement In future without auy
aid whatever, even such as it is, from the
men. They ought to request the Immediate
withdrawal of Parker Pillsbrry, Theodore
Tilton, and Henry Ward Beecher from the
association. They are mere bones of conten-
ton at the best. All they do is to wrangle
with the able female orators on the platform
and oppose most of the measures introduced
1t is time for the suffrage women to assert
practically their independence of the men and
10 stand alone on their rights.
THE OSAGE SWINDLE IN THE SENATE.
From the N. Y. Sun
The thanks of the country are due to Mr..
Morrill,, CT Maine, for exposing, in recent
debate in the Senate, gigantic land Job in
Kansas, for which Senators Ross and Pome-
roy stood sponsors, and by which the Usage
Indians were to be bled for the benefit of SIX
railroad companies, only one of which had
any existence except on paper.
By the solemn treaty of the Government,
entered into long ago, the Great and Little
Usage Indians were assigned to reservation
of lands, located in and contiguous to what
was subsequently erected into the State of
Kansas, amounting to 5000, 900 acres. Re-
Gently, and in violation of law, several thou
sands of adventurers have squatted upon
those lands, and have fomented quarrels
with the owners by taking possession of their
farms, their cabins, their cattle, and their
crops. Under the pressure of the circum-
stances the Indians were, year or two ago.
induced to enter into a sort of treaty or agree
ment by which they were to yield up the
lands, with all the improvements thereon,
Tor $l, 600, 600, or at the rate of 20 cents per
acre. But this treaty or arrangement on
beng presented in Washington, was not rati-
fed or approved, probably because the Indian
Bureau regarded it as a swindle. inst at this
juncture these six railroad corporations, five
of which, according to the admission of Sena-
tor Pomeroy, are only proposed roads
that Is to say, mere paper roads-turned up
In Washington, and procured bill to be re-
ported from the convenient Indian Commit
tee OF the Senate, of which Mr.. Harlan is
chairman, transferring to them these S,OOO.-
600 acres of valuable land for the sum of
81 600, 900.
At the very lowest estimate these lands
must be worth 81 per acre. Hence, if this
bill could be passed, these six railroads would
make the snug little sum of So, 400, ,OOO or a
million each, with margin of $4OO, 600 to
spare. The chicanery of this measure was
thoroughly exposed in the very able speech
OF MIR. Morrill,, OF Maine, of whom it is not
too much to say that he is one of the fore
most stat esmen of the country.
OF course, nobody will believe that any
body outside OF these railroads was to make
any money out OF this gigantic job, and GER
tainly no Senator We confess, however. IL
would throw some valuable light on the snb