Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-01-16
WOMAN SUFFRAGE.
Meeting Of the National Convention

On the reassembling OF the convention yes
terday afternoon the hall was pretty well flied,
the majority of those present being ladies.
After the reading OF letters by Mrs. Lille De-
yereauN Blake from Vice President Wilson,
Hon. B. F. Butler, Laura Deforce Gordon, and
MIR. Francis Miller, Miss Anthony, Mrs. Spen-
Ger, and Mrs. Blake delivered brief addresses,
and we're followed by Mrs Stanton, who read
SERIES OF RESOLUTIONS,
demanding that Congress take the necessary
ste ps TO SO amend the national Constitution that
in all constitutions and laws, state and national,
the terms persons, cit zens, people, resident in,
habit2nts, voters, electors, Taxpayers, shall
hereafter be so Interpreted as to include both
sexes; commenting with ind gnation and shame
on the fact that while Congress consumes the
peoples time and money in unending discus
sOns OF a civil rights bill for men of color, not
plea has been introduced for women, whose
political, CIVIL religious, and social rights are
denied in every state of the union; denouncing
the bill of Senator Frelinghuysen as designed
to rob the women of tab territory OF jury trial,
and the bill of Senator Logan to restore the ac
ton of common La in the territories, as an in
suit and degradation of the women of the union,
and disgrace TO the forty third Congress; and
endorsing the order OF the Patrons OF Husband.
~. The resolutions were followed by "a bill of
rights, demanding civil rights bill for wo-
men and political equality with colored meus
that they be admitted TO all institutions of
learning the same as black Iaen; that women,
the same as colOred men, shall have equal place
and pay in the world of work, be admitted into
whatever trade or association they desire as APP
pIentlces, lOurneymen, masters, and il any
white man refuse to work beside woman as an
equal be shall suffer fine and Imprisonment,
precisely as If he refused to work beside a col
ored man.
ON motion of Prof. Wilcox, the resolutions
ana bill OF rights were laid upon the table until
to-day for discussion.
Prof. Wilcox made a few remarks, after
which the convention took a recess until :
O'Clock.
EVENING SESSION.
The convention reassembed at O'Clock p.
m, and the chair introduced Mrs. Lille Dew
ereux Blake, who proceeded TO speak ill behalf
OF the entranchisement OF the women of the
country, who, she claimed, should have at least
as many rights a. the colOred people and the
ex-rebels of the south. The women are placed
in the same ranks as the lunatics and criminals
Of the country, who are disfranchised, and they
keenly feel the degradation OF the situation. lie
is said that wOmans place is home. This is
true, but women should have the means of
power within themselves to protect their homes
by the ballot.
ADDRESS OF MRS. ELIZABETH CADY STANTON.
Mrs. Elizabeth Cady Stanton then came for
ward and delivered an eloquent address on
- WOman's Place in Government" The time
has come, she said, when the women OF the
country should be called upon to aid IN the
conduct of the government. We stand face to
face with national bankruptcy and disgrace.
No Spanish pirates can insult our flag or humble
our national pride as our representatives have
done in the last two years in this capital. With
credit mobilier frauds, salary grab scandals,
Pacific railroad swindling, wasted public lands
and an empty public treasury; with the whole
sale corruption in our executive, legislative and
judicial departments, the wrongs and oppres
slOns IN our prisons and ass lumS, labor degraded
and defTauded everywhere; virtue, honor, hon
esty secuted as not available in politics; woman
hood the cheapest of all cOmmOdities-with all
these existing crimes and Outrages reported
week after week-repeated in every journal
from Maine to Texas by democrats
and republicans alike, the apathy and
indifference of the women of the nation
is surprising as it is repreheusible
Woman has genius and power for government
heretofore used wholly for personal and family
success that must now take a higher, heller
aim, seeking the best interests OF all in national
life. Political economy is far more important
than the cook book, or mirror OF fashion, for
food and clothes depend on wise legislation
With national bankruptcy and impending rev.
OlutiOn, the women of this republic have more
responsible duties to the state than to save PEN
MES and scrape lint, while men make the blum
derlng experiments IN finance and by total
neglect OF the interests OF labor fan the flames
OF revolution. 1t IL glory in England to rule
and reign, but the crown of citizenship is a
degradation in America. Referring to the case
OF Miss Anthony, Mrs. Stanton said though pro-
noUnced criminal for voting, sentenced and
lined, she ayailed herself OF the first OppOrtu-
nifty 10 repeat her offence. and Will repeat II
until she conquers! Loud applause SO we
stlll have Susan Il. Anthony and the United
States in deadly struggle, the result of which
is to decide the status OF all American woman
hood. But the United States is destined as
plaintiff to defeat in our courts and perhaps by
the decision OF our next Chief Justice
II We are fortunate to have All
other before the Office is abolished. lApplausel
And while on the subject. let me saw that am
truly glad that we are not to have either OF the
men whose names have been sent to the Senate.
The speaker then announced at length the OBJ
lection that women cannot fight, and spoke OF
their services in the late war. She referred to
wCmans power Tor evil. and pied for the ballot
as the means of throwing wOman's influence on
the side of virtue and justice. When Miss An
tnOny and herself, years ago, sent petitions bear
ing $50 600 names in favor OF the abolition OF
slavery to Chas Sumner, he was very grateful
and wrote them gracious letters, saying: "Send
on the petitions; they help agitation; they give
me opportunities for speech: You are Icing
noble work" But when later we appealed 10
the Massachusetts Senator ~ aid us In procuring
equal rights with the black man his heart was
as cold as a stone TO our appeal.
The last half of Mrs. StantOn'S address was
devoted TO review OF national affairs, in which
she argued that a reor ganizatiOn OF parties is
inevitable, and that the labOring organizations
whose numbers are seven-tenths of the pOpula-
ton OF the earth will uproot existing parties
and demand their rights. She also spoke in
favor OF the ons-term system for President,
the abolition of the office OF ice President, and
pie.
WOMEN LAWYERS.
The next speaker introduced was Miss Phebe
COZzens, OF st. Louis, who excused herself As
Miss Anthony was to speak. She would speak
to-day on what she knew about women LAWYERS.
She was sorry to observe the absence of the
gentlemen advocates of the subject. They were
afraid 10 stand up to their guns
MISS ANTHONY's EXPERIENCES.
Miss susan b. Anthony was the next speaker,
and described ler experience in going to the
Capitol to invite the attendance of some of the
functOnaries thereof. She had not had much
success. She described her interview with Mr.
Elliott, and she was sorry to say that she had
found him too much like white man. He had
so many important engagements" twas on
so many important committees" &c, &C., "he
would see, and if he could dnd time he would
attend the convention" She had been much
encouraged by Senator Fenton. He was COM
ing around; his wife told him several years ago
that II was time he was aiding the cause of wo-
man sum age, and he was Just waking up. A
death bed repentance, however, was better than
no repentance at all. She said she stood before
them criminal sentenced in one of the courts
OF New York for voting in that state. She re-
cited the history of her troubles in connection
with this case; spoke OF the habeas corpus
granted her, and related how she had cauy assed
the county, and had spoken IN every village
there in order to render it impossible for jury
OF twelve men to render a verdict OF guilty
against woman OF lawful age laughter
simply for depositing her vote IN ballot box
About two OF three weeks after her vote had
been deposited and she and her friends were re-
joieing over her good fortune, along comes the
sheriff and arrests her. Ii would not do for this
ofence to go UNPUBLISHED, although there were
several other women who had voted at the same
election in various parts OF the state. The
court (Judge HunD had ordered the jury to
bring IN verdict of guilty; thus it was the YER
dict of the court and not OF the jury. There was
but of uniting N nd RI