Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-01-14

| NJ. Thayer; POS, Richard Carroll VS.. s. W. Hay
ward; Nos 297, 29s, 800, 1863, 1894, 41O, Ala, AIS,
416, 421, 445.
Meeting of the Worcester County Female
Suffrage Association.
SECOND DAY.
The meeting yesterday morning was called to
order at half past ten, and Rev. Samuel May, of
Leicester, was chosen chairman, Mr.. Shipper
| being unable to preside on account of hoarse-
ness Mr.. May made a speech on taking the
chair, expressing his full sympathy with the
| movement.
The remainder of the forenoon session was
mostly occupied by discussion between Mr. s..
5. Foster and Mr.. J. A. Rowland, as to whether
| or not the resolution offered at the previous
| session by Mr.. Foster, in relation to the treat
ment of woman suffrage by political parties,
| should he taken from the table and dis
cussed. Mr.. Rowland opposed the discussion
of the resolution and gave it as his
opinion that it was not matter to properly come
before a county association. Mrs. Blackwell
| agreed with Mr.. Rowland but, after free ex-
| preston of opinion which amounted to about
the same thing as discussion of the resolution
it was finally voted to take it from the table for
discussion, Just before the convention adjourned
to meet at two O'Clock in the afternoon.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The afternoon session did not begin at the
hour to which the convention in the forenoon
adjourned, not being called to order until nearly
three o'clock.
The first speaker was Miss Eliza Powell, from
| Vassar college. Hiss Powell is young woman
Of attractive address, light hair and complex
ion, and very plain in her dress. Her voice was
not powerful, but she talked in a pleasing, wo-
manly way, and in her remarks advocated re-
forms among women that some of the other
| speakers seemed to have forgotten in discussing
| tine voting question. She began by saying that
| she thought it stran e that men should attempt
TO deny the rights of woman to the ballot, or
any other privilege enjoyed by man, when their
interests are so plainly identical. There are
bad women as well as bad men, and neither vir-
| tue, wisdom or strength Of character will come
with the ballot, but must come by the efforts Of
| the women themselves. OF the subject of I'M
| equal wages for women, she talked awhile, say
| ing that she believed the remedy for this evil
lay in the hands Of the women themselves. The
| work done by women is confined to few
| branches Of mechanics, and women, who are US
| a class, better fitted for handiwork than mental
labor, seek the latter because they think it more
! honorable; house-work should be Il trade,
ranking with the mechanic arts, and
brains should be brought to bear upon this
branch of wonans industry as much as any
| other. She also advocated gardening as a work
| eminently proper Tor women to do. The i'm
portance of a trade is not sufficiently felt among
| the majority of girls, who wait for marriage as
i relief to selfsupport. If they had good trades,
learned after leaving school, as is the case with
| boys, perhaps there would be a smaller number
| of marriages, for they would be more indie
pendent, and most certainly there would be
| smaller number of divorces.
From the labor of women she passed to
| criticism of their dress, showing the weakness,
folly and even sin of allowing absurd fashions
10 rule good sense in this matter She con-
sidered the present opportunities Tor girls TO
learn trades or gain professions as good, if the
girls will only avail themselves of them. The
men, she said, had endeavored for nearly hun
| 1red years to govern the country, without the
| assistance of women, but they had not been en-
| tirely successful; and when the careful judg
| ment of woman in politics comes to be known,
then the stone rejected by the builders may per-
| haps become the head of the corner.
Rev. Mr.. Stone of Brookfeld in response to a
call, came forward and made brief speech,
claiming that the denial of the ballot to women
| has no foundation in reason and fact, and pre-
senting the claims and abilities of the women
of the country to enter into politics and act
with men.
AT the close of Mr.. Stones remarks, Rev. Geo.
Allen of this city arose and asked leave to say
few words explaining that he was not mem
Der of the association, and should not speak as
an advocate of the cause. He was informed by
the chairman that his views would be listened
to with interest, aud invited to the platform
He said, substantially:
may, perhaps he unable TO make nv voice
heard in this hall, as [ stand here in my
eighteth year. but will endeavor to make my
self understood in the few words have TO saw
am not member; have declined to sign the
constitution, and shall continue to refuse until
have more light on the matter. do not stand
| as an advocate of women's going to the ballot
box and standing to speak in public places,
though have always lOnged to see the day
when they shall be better paid for their work,
and enjoy their full rights in this respect
have always made it practice to pay women
more than they exact for their work done for
me. In the matter of women in professions |
would say that for fifty years have desired that
they should study and practice medicine and
believe it fit and proper, and justice to her sex
| that she should. will not speak to the gener-
al merits of the cause, but call for the reading
of the resolution offered in the early part of the
meeting by Mr.. Foster, in relation TO teachings
and examples Of Christ regarding the equality
| of the sexes, 1.-THE resolution was read by the
chairman. have no hope for Mr.. Foster, that
| he will change his mind; it has been said that
there is no hope for man who has written
| book. This resolution was read in n loud and
defiant tone, as if he had been Goliath of Gath,
defying the armies with a spear the staff of
which was like q weaver's beam; he calls the
| resolution the adamantine rock on which he
stands, and suppose it will remain as adamant
if no rises to deny its assertions. The reso-
| luton says that the sexes are equal in all the
| duties and relations of life; does any one but
| Mr.. Foster believe that tins was Christs teach
| ing? Christ has nowhere given countenance to
| the statement as it there stands, though Mr..
| Foster claims that he asserts it sin the most
positive manner" | defy any man to defend
the statements made in this resolution before an
audience having common sense
by their fruits shall ye know them" says our
| Savior, and he claimed to be known himself as
| the Messiah by his fruits and ministry; thus
! we see that his precepts do not support the as
sertOn of the resolution; let us observe his prac-
| tice and example. He chose twelve apostles
| and that these were twelve men Mr. Foster will
not dare TO deny-there was not a woman
among them; he also appointed other seventy
| to go forth two by two in the great work of
| preaching his gospel to the world-was there
| one woman among them2 That was his prac-
tice in regard to public teachers; and since
neither by precept or practice did Christ teach
the equality of the sexes in all the duties and re-
lations Of life, 1t follows that the premises set
| forth by the resolution die.
Mrs. Campbell came upon the platform when
the applause at the close of Mr.. Aliens remarks
had ceased, but deferred speaking that Mr.. Eos
ter might reply to that gentleman.
| He began with the statement made by Mr..
Allen that no man dare support the resolution
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