Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-01-15
EoRcEsTER
MONDAY. JANUARY Is. 1s1s.


\ - = IN nag hanHcnee on Foiittcs.S
The strange performance of a company of
woman in aud around one of tue senate COM
mittee rooms, last Friday, is noticed in most Of
the newspapers; and if the published reports are
corIect, it is surprising that the committee
allowed itself to tolerate such conduct and listen
to the |, aders of this remarkable crusade. A
woman sufffage convention OF the Woodruff
Griffin party was in session in Washington; and
iusligated by the leading spirits of the gather
ing, the whole convention attempted to be pres
ent al a hearing of the committee. 1t had been
agreed that the committee would hear six of the
women advocate woman-suffrage; hut these
brought with them the whole crowd, which
was sufficiently numerous TO pack several
committee rooms. They filed the passages so
densely that 1t was impossible for the committee
TO approach their ROOM and the whole police
force of the capitol was required to open their
way TO the door. When the committee opened Its
session the six women who were TO be heard
positively refused to read their addresses unless
the doors were opened TO the crowd. Finally,
Senator Trumbull with m ORE patient forbearance
than wisdom, opened the doors; and Immediately
the room was so densely packed with women
that the committee were crowded and josted
at thei, table The following brief account of
this raid, which appeared in the Boston journal,
we intended TO publish last Saturday but il
was accidently omitted:
"WAsHINGToN, Jan. 70, 1872 The judiciary
committee oi the senate haviHg fixed to-day at
IL O'Clock Tor hearing Mrs. Hooker Mrs. Stan
ton, and the other meuorialists on the subject
OF granting them Suffrage under the 14th amend
ment TO the constitution, the convention at Lin
coin hall was adjourned ana the whole crowd
made raid upon the capitol, and commenced TO
knock for admission at the doors Of the room OF
the committee on the judiciary.
Gas earlg as ten O'Clock, besides those in the
lower hall, there was an immense crowd in the
reception room up stairs, where Mrs Hooker,
Mrs Stanton, MIS-. Woodruff aud the leaders
patiently awaited The hour of eleven, the time
fixed for the hearing. They were sure of adj
mission, and consequently did not need to
clamOI at the doors of the committee room.
Senator Trumbu, the chairman OF the commit
tee, arrived anoGl haf-paSt ten, and he ntimated
that 1t uld be impossible for all present to
get into the room, whereupon Mrs Hooker tried
TO persuade him to have the hearing in the SEN
ate chamber, but this he would not agree to- and
directed her 10 take down the names of about
forty persons who, he said, would be admitted
TniS " as objected TO, and Mrs. Hooker said she
would advise the crowd that was excluded from
the room to clamor at the doors until the com.
mittee opeLed them TO all. 1t was a public
atf,ir, Ms. H. said, and the public had right
in the room.
"When five minutes after eleven arrived and
Mr. Irumbull had no5 yet opened his commit
re, inquiries began to come up. Where is
NJ. TrumbutlF Mrs. Hooker replied indig-
nantly, Why he has gone to take bath, ana
he compels all the women of the land TO await
his convenience But she added 'he no
doubt needs a publication and Il Washing"
Tnis was considered good hit, and the crowd
laughed heartily.
about fifteen minutes past eleven Mr. Trum.
bull, Mr. Carpenter and other members of the
committee made their appearance but the crowd
was SO dense in the passage way leading to the
door of the committee room that they could nor
get 10 the door. Then commenced struggle 10
force the crowd back Mr.. French, the sergeant
at-arms, appealed to them in vain, and finally
called in all the capitol police, and they, after
much difficulty, succeeded in making passage
iOf the members Of the committee.
Tine favored few whose names were on the
list we're admitted, aud the outsiders camOred
at the doors demanding TO ret in Mr.. Trum-
bull, who was ut first determined not to yield,
hnIy succumhed, and directe the doors 10 be
opened, AMI AL we've admitted who could get in
Ms. St9nton and Mss Anthony Immediately
COUNTED this rs the first victory over the il-
dietary committee, and so boosted Of it. After
tue room had been hlled there was still crowd
OF several hundred outs de, and they We're with
difficulty kept back from the door by the police
After order had bten restored as well as possible
the az ument was commenced"
Il isnot easy to see what these women expect
TO accomplish by such proceedings They are
not ADAPTED to persuade the committee nor to
persuade anybody else. Probably this point
was not considered by the invading host whose
Leaders were manlrstly more intent on notoriety
than woman suffrage. 1t may be that all
was done in the most approved Woodruff
Cabin style, in order to show the world how
this particular band of crusaders for woman's
rights propose to refine the atmosphere of pol
itics Aud yer, even this crowd was not ready
10 come down to equality with men, before the
police. 1t appears that the committee hardly
knew how TO treat them, although, if they had |
been men, there would have been no doubt or |
hesitation. One reporter says
"Fndng expostulations. entreaties, and even
commands unavainE, Mir. French, the sergeant
alarms. called out the whole polce force, and
still tue women defcd the crowd, who refused to
move. SJme one suggested that Mr. French
treat this crowd Just as he would trcat a crowd
OF men, that Is, get AT the head of them ana
force them back by the use Of the club and
baton. Lit chem try IT, halloogd our Miss
OCOnnor, dnDlnutive specimen oil the genus
Woman richter. Let them try it, echotd dozen
Others; let them ny II, and see If they don't
OUT And fingers went wriglling through the
air as though ready TO clutch the scalp OF any
man who would dare to lay violent hands upon
them."
That is to say, they intended to behave like
rowdies and claim immunity from restraint on
the ground that they were women. 1t was a
hard, diff ;ult, coniounding case for the police,
VINO could not bring themselves to treat these
women as they would have treated men behav-
ing 10 the same way. We hope the senate com
mites will take measures TO save themselves
from another such invasion OF a committee
room. Ii Senator Trunbulrs committee had
at once refused to allow the hearing, and sent
the whole crowd back to resume their convcn-
tl0n and give expression to their feelings in
their own peculiar manner, this affair would
have been less disgracefui to all but the women
themselves, We confess that we cannot under
stand how the committee brought themselves to
allow the hearinI to 70 on. Probably another
like it vii not take place Immediately.