Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1873-12-20
REPORT FOR THE PAST YEAR.

man Suffrage Association, has made q
lengthy report of the action of said So
ciety during the past year, from which
we make the following extracts:
We have co-operated with State
societies in presenting memorials to TIE
Legislatures of Maine, New Hampshire,
Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island,
New York, New Jersey, Delaware,
Pennsylvania, Virginia, South Caro-
lima, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois,
Iowa, Michigan, Kansas, California,
Oregon and Nevada.
We have been active in efforts to de-
feat the Congressional bills to merge
Wyoming into Colorado, and to abolish
Woman Suffrage in Utah. The Judic-
iary Committees of the Senate prepared
and carried through the United States
Senate bill to suppress polygamy in
Utah, which also prohibited woman
from voting, and established the Eng
lish Common Law concerning wives in
the form in which it existed at the
time of the Declaration of Indepen-
dence." The Common Law at that date
gave to every husband /" the custody of
his wife's person" the right "to give
her moderate correction" the right to
keep her by constraint, the right to all
her money. 1t took from the wife every
thing-right of person, right of pro-
perty-blotted her out of legal exis-
tence, and left her the one right, which
is accorded to idiots and town paupers,
to-wit, the right to be maintained.
* X + Il
For this enormity Senator Freling-
huysen of New Jersey is especially re-
sponsible. Under the covert express
sion, "The Common Law as it existed
at the time Of the adoption of the Dec
laration of Independence" he struck a
dastardly blow at every right of the
married woman of that Territory. The
bill passed the Senate, but was defeated
in the House by the active opposition of
Mr.. Sargent of California, (now Sena-
tor from that State), and by other Rep
resentatives, so the woman of Utah still
vote.
A memorial in behalf of Woman Suf-
frage was presented to the Massachu-
sets Legislature, signed by Lydia
Maria Child, Elizabeth Stuart Phelps,
Louisa M. Alcott, Abby w. May, and
many others; also a memorial headed
by John NJ. Forbes, Ingersoll Bowditch,
DR.. Samuel G.. Howe, Gov. Claffiin,
VIM. Lloyd Garrison, and long list Of
worthy names. Both were referred to
joint special committee. Nearly q
weeks time was devoted to it's discussion
and at each session the galleries, aisles,
and all available standing room in the
House of Representatives was literally
crowded with men and women, eager
listeners to the debate. The vote was
taken on the same day and Immediately
after the vote for United States Senator,
and was lost, II Republicans voting
for and 221 against it; II Democrats
voting against and 2 for it. This ac-
ton was taken in spite of the square
and complete endorsement of Woman
Suffrage in the platform of the Repub-
lican party.
Since it thus appears that men will
allow themselves to accept nominations
to the Legislature, while they feel no
moral OF honorable obligation to support
the platform on which they were elected,
the Massachusetts, Woman Suffrage
Society have voted to form Woman
Suffrage Political Clubs, united by the
following pledge:
owe, the undersigned, men and
women, citizens of Massachusetts,, of all
political parties, believing that Woman
Suffrage is vital political issue, dc
hereby organize ourselves into Wo.
man Suffrage Political Club, TO,
the purpose of forwarding the move
ment, morally and politically-by the
systematic circulation of tracts and
newspapers, by holding public meet
ings, and especially by helping to cleo
the friends of suffrage to the Legisla
ture, and to defeat its opponents"
X
The growth of public sentiment il
favor of the interests of women Ii
steady, every day growing wider in it
scope.
The higher education of women wa
very ably discussed at the Social Sci
ence meeting in Boston. Perhaps th'
most noticeable fact on this point il
the establishment of the Boston Uni
versity on the basis of equal opportuni
ties for men and women in all its de
partments. Four ladies who passet
excellent examinations, are alread.
members of the classical course. Ev
cry College or University which has ad
mitted women, reports good results, ant
in no instance where they have eve
been admitted have women afterwar'
been excluded.
A convention of woman minister
was held in Boston last May, with yer.
satisfactory results. Twenty ladie
were present who had been regularl
ordained, most of them are settled i
charge of congregations and are labor
ing with much acceptance as ministers
A Woman's Peace meeting was ais
, held, about the same time, giving tn
voice and influence of women for peace
Roth these meetings were under tn