Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-01-13
Annual Meeting Of the Worcester County
Female Suffrage Association.

Annual Meeting of the Worcester County
Female Suffrage Association.
The association began its annual meeting in
Washburn hall, yesterday afternoon at half
past two o'clock, and was well attended. 1t
opened with an address by its president, Rev. r.
R. Shipper of this city. Mr.. Shipper thought
that the burden of argument rested not with
the advocates of woman's voting, but with the
oppOsers, for while the former have shown
numerous and incontrovertible reasons why
woman should enjoy the same rights and priv
ileges as man, the latter have yet 10 bring for
ward any good! reason in opposition. He al
luded to the mention Of female suffrage in Gov.
ClaAin's message, and spoke of the advanc c
made inIths matter since 1850 when he was
minister in Chicago, which was at that time a
city not so large as Worcester now is, and referred
to the instance of Lydia Blackwell coming there
from the east to enter upon the study of medi-
cine for the reason that she could gain admis-
sion to no institution in the east. He also
spoke of the progress made by the women in lit
erature in these twenty years, and
said that in the four departments of
human life - home, school, church. and
state, woman must in the near future be an
equal partner with man. He referred to the
difference in the cars in which the women travel
at the south, (where men not travelling with
women are assigned separate cars) and also Of
the ladies' cabins on the ferry boats in New
York, arriving at the conclusion that when
women are admitted into politics they will
cleanse it of impurities, and there will be moth
ing so bad or low about voting, but that even
ministers may indulge in the ballot He sup
ported his assertions by Christ's doctrine, in
which sex is not made a distinction, saying that
though men and women are unlike, though men
are unlike each other, and women are unlike
each other, Christianity will bring unity and
harmony out of the diversity, and man and
woman will move on toprogress hand in hand.
The secretary, Mr.. Warner Johnson read his
report, after which Mr.. S. s. Foster moved that
the committee on nomination of officers and
business be appointed by the chair; accordingly
the following named persons were appointed:
Committee on Nomination-Jos Rowland Mrs
A Foster, Mrs NJ Baker, Alfred Wyman, Mrs
II c Thompson, Southbridge.
Committee on Business-Rev Elnathan Davis
Auburn; 5 Foster, Earle, Worcester; Mrs
Celia Bureigh, New York; Mrs Campbell Spring
field.
Mr.. Foster then made short speech, daring
the enemies of the movement to come up and
oppose it. His remarks were plain, pointed and
hoping that it would provoke discussion, which,
however, it failed to do:
Resolved that the teachings and example of
Christ affirm in the most positive the equal
ity of the sexes in all the duties and relations of
life; and those who ignore this equality, and claim
for themselves rights and privileges which they
deny to woman, subvert the very foundations of the
Christian faith, and are among the most insdous
and dangerous OF intdes.
Following the reading of the resolution he
again spoke, directing his shafts at the pulpit,
which, he said, was divided on this important
question here in Worcester, about equally, there
fore, one-half the ministers were Christians
and the other half heather. He saw no better
reason for sending preachers to other countries
than for importing them to this from China and
India, for if in those countries they are behind
us on some questions, they are certainly ahead
of us in the matter of temperance.
The present condition of the association, and
also the amount of work accomplished by it is
shown by the following report, read by Mrs. F.
NJ. Baker, the corresponding secretary;
Scarcely anything has been done by the Wor-
cester County Woman Suffrage Association in
the way of work since its organization, about
wear ago. therefore there is little to report Of its
dongs, either officially or otherwise, but the
people in the county, and especially p this city,
have not been inactive, and a brief report of
their doings may not be out of place here and
now. Soon after the formation of the county
society, city society was formed on similar
| plan, and for similar purpose. 1t continued
| for several months, its members working with
more or less of interest, when it was given up;
its officers and members deciding that they could
work directly with the county association as
well, and perhaps better, than by themselves.
when the state association decided to open
bazaar in Boston, attention was soon directed
] toward Worcester county, as expected to take