Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-04-13
SUSAN B. ANTHONY

Music, where she was TO lecture up
on the theme "Woman wants bread
no. the ballot" That eapacious
building was so crowded that even
standing room was in demand,
though to hear lady lecture was no
rare thing in Milwaukee.
From my acquaintance with Miss
Anthony, through the medium OF
her pen, expected to see person
of masculine proportions, clad IN
bloomer costume; judge of my sur
prise, when the audience cheered up
on coming upon the stage lady of
medium size dressed in the latest
style, with 20 appearance of being
an cold maid unless we except spec
tacles, of which reporters cay "she
wore two pair" Evidently they
saw through reporters spectacles al
ways sure to magnify. Judging from
the repeated applause which pre-
vented her being heard in some parts
of the house, one may say her lect-
ure appealed to the judgement OF
man, as we'll as the sentiments of
woman, and were it not for fear of
being stigmatized as "Woman's
Rights" claimant, many true wo-
man would be found expressing
not perhaps on the platform but in
the chosen time and place-the hon.
est sentiments of her heart, for Miss
Anthony said "Whon woman tells
q man she dosen'L want to vote he
knows she lies.' Here let me quote
compliment paid TO the Grange: 81
always feellike blessing the Changers
for they do one thing never done be-
fore in political move; they take
the women with them to their meet
ipgs. If they could have taken them
with them to the ballot box they
might not have been sold out assn
the late repeal of the Potter Law"
Daring one hundred years the
American nation has been at work
at great problem, and toward this
Centennial year the women of our
land have been looking with eager,
wistful eyes for a solution, which
would bring to them, what the
Emancipation Proclamation brought
| to four millions of bondmen-their
enfranchiSement Miss Anthony said
ut was not sense of Justice that
freed the slaves, but q military me-
| cessity, and it was political neces-
sity that gave them the ballot. Their
power was felt when armed with the
musket but not as when armed with
the ballot"
To-day in our country there is as
great an oppression felt by the work
ing women who need protection from
the greedy capitalist, and the strife
that has from time to time been
weighed between capital and labor
has in the case of ga strike" among
women been failure La the collar
laundry in Troy the girls to the
number of 500 struck for higher
wages and lay idle for three months.
Their money as o union was used
up, and though braYely they stood
their ground for thirteen weary
weeks, they were finally compelled
| TO go back to their work and as a
punishment for daring TO attempt
what brick layers, coal miners and
bod carriers had accomplished by
their strikes, they were put upon
even lower wages. Had those 500
women the power to vote think you
they would have been less successful
than the same number of men?
Most certainly not. No matter how
| low men are their wants are needed
by politicians. No matter how high
and noble women are their requests
are treated with disrespect. There
are to-day in our country half mil
lion of women working in factories.
| Half a million more are in other pro-
fessional employments; in all two mil
lion women are doing for themselves,
b esides one million servant girls.
After these statements Miss Anthony
appealed to all classes to seek to
make it possible for these working
women to make living as easily
and honestly as men. To place wo-
men in position where she can help
herself, in tho battle of life, and if to
earn her bread she must first have
the ballot. Then let those women
throughout our land who have all
that wealth aud luxury provides,
think f those who struggle for ex-
istence. If they care not for enfran-
chisement let them labor to gain it
for those poor women who without
it are slaves.
In the HERALD of March 23rd its
readers find this cl piping from the
Hartford Evening Post: "The prin-
ciple of woman's suffrage is taking
deep root in the Congregational
| churches of Connecticut" etc, Stats
ing also 'that in a majority of the
churches female suffrage is freely ex,
| ercised." 1t hath been said by an
eminent journalist, ITO Congrega-
.ioualisru wO dOubtlesa n we the free
and happy structure of our political
institutions" Is there not then an
argument for rapid extension of
the polity of the churches of Connec-
ticut? May we not hope that those
eccleastical principles shall be carried
into all parts of our land? That the
character of our western churches
may be moulded by similar princi-
Plies, that shall be instrumental in
preparing the people, by maturing
their virtue and intelligence in main
tanning free government-even the
heritage received from their fathers
hundred years ago?
1t hath also been said cit was
Congregational church meeting that
first suggested the idea of New
England town meeting" Now if to-
day a woman was allowed to vote in
the church meetings of Connecticut,
WHY may she not ia the town meet