National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-01-15
Cruel Man to be subdued-Dr. Nary
walker Appears on the Scene
The Audience Refuse to Hear
Her speak-An Expla-
nation From the
Doctor.


Lincoln hall. The first session was announced to
take place at 10 .. m, but at this time there were
not more than my persons present in the hall,
although the audience slowly increased until
1850, when there were about one hundred and
fifty. At this hour Mrs. Lockwood announced
that some delay was occaaonsd by the non arrival
Of the officers. At this point Mrs. E. Csdy STAN
ton, Miss Susan B. Anthony, and Marilla n.
Kicker, Of New Hampshire, arrived and took seats
on the platform. They were shortly after fol-
lowed BY Miss Kate O. Harris, Of Baltimore; Mrs.
Mary LIE Fevre, Lille DevereSuX Blake, Miss
Phoebe CoLZens and DR.. Mary W alker, the latter
being received with applause. When order was
restored Mrs. Stanton said, in the death Of Mar
tina q. Wright, the president, the duty devolyed
upon her TO call the convention to order. Miss
Wright was the first president, and was elected
in 1913; she never did much speaking, bat was
always ready to do whatever work she was called
on to do. Those as sembled came singing the one
song, that Of freedom. She next delivered the
following
OPENING ADDRESS:
This is the seventh annual convention we have
held in Washington to discuss the rights Of self
ing comes at a most auspicious moment, when
the entire nation is wide awake to this great prn
ciple Of American independence, now being tram
pied under foot In the State Of Louisiana. Self
government is the great SUBJECT now that occu-
pies the press and the people-the theme for elo-
quent speeches and debates in Congress and every
State Legislature. Democrats and Liberal Re-
publlcans alike are proclaiming the inallensble
rights Of the people harmoEiously together. At
such crisis in view Of the grand principles they
are Just now so earnestly enunciating, one would
think these hberty-loying statesmen might now
be easily converted to our ideas, and demand the
right Of selfgovernment for women too. Such
step would be in line with their present position
They need adopt no new principle. Only extend
the rights they now demand for the people Of
LouisIapa to the women Of their own states: HOB;
the Senate, points out the danger Of Infringing on
the constitutional rights of the people He clearly
sees the danger in Louisiana. But the question
is if the danger arises fromgedueating the people
to violate the principles Of our government is It
not as dangerous, in the case Of twenty millions
Of women, as the Legislature of Louisiana? If 1t
is the principle these acknowledgements and
Liberal Republcans-are sol earnestly defending,
they should make eloquent protests on our plat
great principles Of republican Government in de-
nying us q voice in the laws and rulers that gov
eTn us, in the right Of trial by jury, and represen
tation while taxed to support the state.
SUSAN B. ANTHONY
was then introduced, and read report Of the as
ISOLATION for the past year, commencing with the
proceedings OF the last annual convention, and
the action taken in the United States Senate, the
vote on the question there showing that during
the past seven years in that body their friends
had Increased from to q. She then detailed the
progress made in the several States in the cause
ofwoman suffrage, showing q promising state Of
the cause generally. During the reading of the
report the audience was increased to several hun
dred. She also said woman was in the future to
q
responsibility and power. A grand awakening
is to take place. and instead OF the Granger
women who voted at the last election there will
be millions.
LILLE DEvEREAUx BLAKE
was the next speaker. She called the attention
of the convention to the women who want to vote
and the men who do not want them to vote She
confined her remarks to her own observations Of
the Justice shown the women Of her own State
in the persistent effort to exclude them from the
colleges and other institutions Of learning, and
from the various emPloyments where, In her
Ike to see men doing Women's work, which is the
case at present all over the country in printing
Offices, workshops, and various ott1cial stations,
both elective and appointive. 1t may be said
that all Iittle-minded men do not want women to
vote. This was q fact, that their best advocates
mems. The men Of learning and culture are the
best advocates Of female suffrage, while their
enemies are generally among the ignorant.
5s S1C sser gy ssy b1 telling them II thew are
not true the mumbo Jumbo viii come after them.
Whenever she hears a man Directing to woman
cSsTEsd that ie the New YORK CustOmSOus had
been a refuge for decayed gentility for years, who
do not earn their money, but are keeping honest
Miss Anthony submitted q series sf resolutions
demanding suffrage, and denying that there Is
any right to restrict It, and closed by mourning
the loss Of Martha q. Wright, DR.. Harriet H.
Hunt, Rev. Beniah Green and the Hon. Gerrit
Smith, advocates Of woman suffrage, who have
died during the past year, which were lald on the
table for future discussion.
MISS PHGBE CozzENs
was the next speaker. She said she was sur
prised that America would be behind other eOun-
tries on the question Of suffrage, Is It had been
given In Switzerland, and the women have all
been enfranehised. She related her experiences
in the campaign In Missouri. 1t this State the
woman question was being tested. All over the
State q woman can practice law, but cannot vote.
Mrs. Minor attempted to vote, but was refused.
She entered suit, and the case will come up before
the United States Supreme Court this session.
She feared this would be another bred Scott de-
eisIon. She next read extracts from different
writer's on this subject, and closed by saying she
could not see why serious objections were raised
against women voting.
thony, Catherine Stedman and Phoebe COzZens as
q finance committee, who proceeded around the
hall, taking up collections.
After some brief remarks by Mrs. stanton, the
convention adjourned until p. m.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
At 2 D. m. the convention was called to order.
The audience was much larger than at the morning
session. The chairman, Mrs. Stanton, announced
Miss Anthony as the irst speaker, who said the
position Of receiving gifts from others when they
could obtain It themselves was Degrading. She
could give women. She was present to demand
that law be made giving woman the same right
as the black man. To be in position OF su6lec-
ton was to he in an undeveloped condition. Wo-
men should make, shape and control all their
conditions. She must be put on the level with
men. Woman must no longer be compelled to
support the drunkard, but on the other hand she
must have law on her side, so she can say to these
brutes: "Toucb an article OF furniture and serious
results will follow" She demanded that woman
be possessed with the power of the ballot. For
years past the fact Of wOman's political degrade
tion has been brought before Congress, but they
needed not the appeals; EyeryEheFre women
Give the ballot to them, and numbers OF the
many evils in man will be cured, and decent men
be put in power and held there.
MRS. E. oADY STANTON.
Mrs Stanton spoke to the resolution, and
claimed that the question Of suffrage was the all
absorbing topic Of the day. 1t was only through
the voice Of law that good can come from any
power 10 assert herself It is charged that to
give woman the ballot would unsex her. This she
denied. Woman's devotion to man has be en- long
Landed by poets until IL has made her vain It was
not eommendable for women to get up fairs, col
lect for churches, unless she can have some pr1yi
lege in saying how the money shall be used Sne
sex but If they had money to bequeath they al
ways made them to male schools and colleges.
She read list which showed that nearly
1900 900 had been beQueathed by women for the
education Of boys. In this country there were
far more Intelligent women than in any other
land, and she asked If the women OF the United
States should not be as much exalted as those Of
Woman does not want the right to use the
Or the rsvU S GS an e II ,asns
All should be allowed to vote on the fundamen-
tai laws governing them She claimed that BY
the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments to the
Constitution all women were citizens The hard
ships of war fall on women as we'll as on the men.
They did whatever was required Of them In the
late civil war. When woman shall have taken
her place in the affairs Of the Government wars
will cease.
MONEY NEEDED.
Miss Phoebe CoZzens next appealed to the
audience for money TO carry on the meeting and
to bear the expenses.
Mrs. LIE FeYre was next introduced. She said
this was the first effort on her part to speak on
the subject, but IL would not be the last, and
charged that giving woman suffrage was the only
salvation for this Goo forsaken country. II has
been but q few years since the sous OF America
were cut down by bullet and sword, and the
tears Of the mothers are not dry yet The cry
will arise and Il will not be tame one, that VIII
carry everything before It
She charged that the country was full Of dis
honest ofiee- holders who are maintained oy the
labor Of the honest working man. Women would
not vote o dishonest man Into once. women
love their country. This Is Woman's own, her ma
tive land She believed the American woman
loved her country as well as she loved hers. She
loved England, and Americans loved America
Woman, with the ballot, would purge the coun-
try Of dishonest politicians. Woman's work, in
consequence Of the manner in which II was laid
out have nothing else to do further than dressing
aud gOesipinR. Those who seek their rights are
called strong minded. It did not give her any
Germ how much they called her strong minded,
for she intended 70 work on continuously in this