The Portland daily press., 1874-09-23
Woman Suffrage.
Picnic at Old Orchard.

Lane and Cleaves' pavilion Old Orchard beach
yesterday The scheme originated in the head
of Mrs DR.. Drury, Secretary of the Woman
| Suffrage Association of Haverhll, seconded by
Mr.. A. J. Hoyt editor of the Haverhll Daily
Bulletin. Advantageous arrangements were
made with the Boston & Maine railroad and
yesterday forenoons train deposited at Old
| Orchard some five hundred of the advocates
of womans right to vote and to enjoy the same
| privileges as her brother, from Boston, Haver-
hill Georgetown, Newburyport, Lawrence.
Exeter and Dover. Among the prominent
ladies and gentlemen present were Fl. B. Black
| well of the Woman's Journal, Mrs. Blackwell,
better known as Lucy Stone, Miss Eastman, a
| prominent lecturer in the movement, MIR. AL
drich, night editor of the Boston Globe, and
| the Strickland sisters of Chelsea, who deserve
prominence on account of the excellent sing
| ing and dramatic IecitatioEs with which they
enlivened the occasion.
The meeting was held in Lane & Cleaves'
pavilion, and was presided over by Mr.. A.. j.
Hoyt of Haverhill, who in few appropriate
remarks welcomed the audieace. The Strick-
land sisters then sang "The Battle Hymn of
the Republic"
| The first speaker was Miss Eastman, a lady
prominent in the woman's suffrage movement,
and who has devoted considerable time to lee
turing upon it, though probably not so we'll
known in this section as the speakers who fol.
lowed. Her remarks, which were made in a
clear and Ineligible style, were confined par
ticularly to the Determinations which the laws
made against women, an the opposition which
she encountered from universities in her efforts
to gain liberal education. Her remarks were
pertinent and, unfortunately for the masculine
gender who sat beneath her words, were true.
Her brief address was we'll received, and after
the singing of the hymn, "Pass Under the
Rod" by the Strickland sisters, Mrs. Lucy
Stone was introduced. She said:
My feelings were early aroused to sense of
woman's wrongs by bordering the question
suggested by the spectacle of a woman i'll used
by drunken husband, "Why don't she leave
him." and the answer, "because she would be
gives them to him, and he would have the
| right to retain them in his custody" I asked
why shouldn't the mother have right to her
children. Again, saw the husband of wife
who had worked hard with her partner to gain
the little property they had, die, and l saw the
| law step in and count the saucels and spoons
| in the household, and count out certain num-
| Der for the wife and set off tract of land, land
ASKED WHY maui Tie WIG u rIglJ TO IQe
| property she had earned. And other people
raised the question too, and the woman's move
ment began simply because it couldn't keep
| still, and simply said why shouldn't women
| enjoy the same rights and privileges as men,
| The law, through the asking, grew better and
| gave to women their earnings for work outside
| the house. and secured to taem the property
they had before marriage, which is a good deal
| to be thankful for Yet in every state. the law
| is still unjust and it will not be just until wo-
| mr. m hav a pic f0 of Man ov do no
! laws and they have taken good care to protect
| themselves This discrimination against wo-
| men would have been impossible if women had
had part in making the law. A full quarter
| of a century ago came to the Legislature of
| Maine and the law has been somewhat modi-
| fed since The only people now VINO don't
vote in Maine, are the Indians not taxed and
| the women. In Massachusetts the excepted
classes are the women, feons, fools and luna
tics. Power says one thing and justice another.
| But our claim is sure to be heard and righted
eventually by justice. The day is not far away
when women will vote with men, both being
benefited thereby. The question involves a
| growth of ideas, change in our civilization.
Can any one tell why woman shouldn't enjoy
| the same privileges man? He has no more
| right to say that government is his prerogative
than woman. Personally am in no hurry.
| But remember that in 1876 we fill out full
hundred years Of national existence, and there
| is to be grand celebration in honor of those
| who refused to be taxed without representa-
| ton, and hate to have it told that 15.0000 900
| of women are still held IN bondage
Men of Maine, L wish there had not been
| tie on this question in your last Legislature.
| But you have elected Gov. Dingley, who, l
think, is in favor of woman's suffrage, though
| he failed to say anything about it in his mes
sage, and yon have still the power to do justice
to the women and save yourselves from the
| shame of being set of towards
| Women of Maine, if you let these men sleep
| by your sides and forget that you have the
1 ..~l>k kIAv xry;n
| taxed without representation, as you now are.
Mrs. Stones remarks were received with ap-
plause. After song, "The Rainy Day." by
the Strickland sisters, Mr.. Aldrich, of the Bos-
ton Globe was introduced and spoke as fol-
| lows:
Since we last met the influence Of the foul
| est calumny that ever the inca-nate fends of
| hell concOcted, has been thrown upon the fair
| names of those engaged in this reform. All
| the vieness and villainy of that foul hate have
| been made by the enemies of truth and reform
| to reflect discredit upon those who are earnest
| " endeavoring to raise the standard of right
| and morality. When the blank cartridges of
| ridicule from the enemies of reform fell harm
| less upon the advancing forces of progress;
when the poisoned arrow of sarcasm was turned
back with deadly effect upon those who hurled
it upon us; when the solid shot and shell of
argument, the grape and canister of reason
| fell harmless from the granite walls of cur
fortress or buried themselves amid cloud of
dust in the earth, then the forces of calumny,
the sappers and miners of the army of ignor-
ance and prejudice, sought to undermine the
stronghold and to huri to lasting oblivion and
defeat, not only the disciples of progress and
reform, but all that is dear and holy in human
rights. all that IS pure in human life: But
their defeat is certain. Thank God, ladies and
gentlemen, that around the fair names of the
leaders of the great reform of woman's suffrage
in New England comes no shadow Of moral re-
proach AS on the helmet of the Persian prince
| sat tho beautiful white dove, the emblem of
purity, and whispering guided the prince on to
| conquest and victory, so must it be that real
success for our reform movement shall be OBJ
tanned only as purity OF life and character go
hand in hand with constant labor and unremit-
ting effort. Without devotion to the great
principles of right, without purity of
life and purpose, as Judge Morse has eloquent
| ly said in reference to another subject, "All
seeming victory is real defeat, all seeming tri
uph real subjugaton, and all apparent wealth
a real poverty and nakedness."
After the recitation of 1.-The Curfew shall not
Toll Tonight, .by one of the Misses Strick-
land. Mr.. H. B. Blackwell of the Woman's
Journal was introduced. He said:
The theme of the meeting is the value and
worth of woman. This world has existed
5000 years and in no country has women yet
enjoyed her full rights. And because this has
been SO during those ages, men are disposed to
t0lnK Cnat IL must continue. Line eminent
English novelist, Wllkie Collins, says woman
is never happy till she has found a master, and
Miss Mulooh echoes the same sentiment. This
is view of woman's rights from an English
standpoint. But this meeting says that woman
shall have no master, for if it does not it is all
bosh. We are here to say that women shall
be free, that every husband who commands her
to obey is usurper. We are here to proclaim
new doctrine of marriage--the doctrine of
the Bible, the doctrine of Jesus Christ the
doctrine Of right and of common sense-to de-
clare that marriage is partnership of equals.
The wife is not to obey; both are equal part
ners for life.
This is not the marriage OF the common law
nor of Maine or Massachusetts. The law of
Massachusetts defines marriage to be condi-
ton of seryitqde on the part of the wiz. The
latter is bound to give the husband her service
and labor, and he in return must supply her
with necessares A woman at the ballot box
don't count so much as an ignorant steerage
passenger Of an emigrant ship, who has been in
this country three years. 1t is a disgrace that
we allow our women to be classed below the
most ignorant citizen. They are entitled to
all the rights of men "a voice-Should hold
office, do military duty?) Yes they can do
| military duty better than manV cOWardlV men,