The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-01-15
TIE WOMAN QUESTION.
Women suffrugfsts Before The Jadici-
ary CommIttee-A Turbulent Scene
The Speeches and the Result.
WASHINGTON, January IL.

WASHINGTON, January IL.
An appointment having been made by the
judiciary committee of the Senate TO hear the
managers of the Woman's Suffrage Conven-
ton at IL o'clock this morning in the room of
the judiciary committee, in the capitol, a
large crowd, mostly composed of women,
congregated In the halls of that building long
before the hour Of meeting. 80 dense
was the throDg, that 1t was impossible
to have Ingress to, or egress from, the COM
mittee-room, and the people became go un-
manageable that the sergeant.at-arms OF the
Senate, with his usual force of assistants, was
unable to control them, aud had to call to his
aid the capitol police force, and these COM
bined failed 10 restore order or to clear the
halls until the door was thrown open. when
the crowd rushed In and Immediately filed the
room. This left yet large number OF persons
outside, crushing and banging each other, and
clamorous to gain admittance Senators Trum-
bull Carpenter, Frelinghu5sen. Conkling and
Poole were seated about one end OF the table
In the centre of the room, whilst around the
other end were seated Mrs: stanton, MIS-.
Lockwood and Mrs. Gordon, and Immediately
behind these some of the less noted Of the
Women's Rights advocates.
When order was restored, Senator Trumbull
informed the ladies that the committee was
now ready to hear them, and would give them
audience for one hour ana one quarter, tnat
being the time named by the managers as eut-
flclent for their purpose.
Mrs. Hooker then took the floor, and pro.
ceeded to read from manuscript her argument.
In this there were no novel points made. 1t
whs mainly devoted to theilegal questions In
volyed, and particularly to discussion Of the
scope and effect of the original constitution,
and especially 10 the fourteenth amendment,
Mrs. Hooker holding chat che right OF wQs
mans suffrage was deducable from the Ian.
guage of the original constitution, but II there
were any doubts on that point, then clearly
the right was conferred In the fourteentn
amendment; that the whole thing turned upon
the meaning of the word "cltizen," and what
constituted q citizen, and she maintained
that the word meant woman as well as mani
and women were citizens as well as men. Her
peroraLiou was eloquent to eegree, ana
when she closed there was warm applause
from the audience.
Mrs, Stanton followed In q well.prepared
speech, covering, In generality, all The argu-
ments, legal, social and political, that have
been promulgated by her and her co-laborers
up to the present time In favor Of woman SUI
frage. Her speech was interspersed with hui
morous passages and points, which not only
caused outbur to OF laughter from the audi
GQCe, DuG pTOVOhcu luc oduaC liOh lhO hfShh
bers of the committee.
Miss Anthony closed on the part Of the man,
ayers In brief, lmpassloned speech, delivered
eXtemporaneously. All these arguments were
thorough, and with the exception OF handling
the objections Of the opponents. of woman
suffrage, that woman would be. degraded oy
acquiring the right to vote through contact
with pothouse politicians, &c., covered every.
thing that has heretofore been presented on
this subject.
This occasion may be regarded as q triumph
for the woman suffragsts. Until today they
have received o reluctant hearing IN any
form. by petition or otherwlsei now they are
heard by principal committee In Congress
with profound interest, and with admissions
from members oil the committee that their
arguments, In legal aspect, If not absolutely
conclusive, are at least worthy Of serious con,
sideratlon. aud the women were promised
such consideration by the committees at an
early day. The managers presented Douna
volume containing their declaration of pri1ci-
Piles signed by thirty thousand women, when
was supplemented by another unbound peI-
ton, handed In by Mrs Lockwood, on which
were Inscribed over fifteen thousand. names.