The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-06-16
NUMBER IL.
The Annual Convention of the New York
State Woman Suffrage Association.


Thursday, May 18th, the annual
Convention of the New York State
Woman Suffrage Association was held
in Masonic Hall, Mrs. /. d. Blake oc-
cupying the chair.
In the opening address Mrs. Blake
stated that, by reason of the death OF
the former President, Mrs. Martha
Wright, she had been for over year
acting President, and then proceeded to
give history of the labOrs of this AS
sOciatiOn during the seven years of its
organization, especially reviewing the
legislative action, and speaking of the
leading men who advocate the measure.
After the close of the address, the
Secretary, Mrs. H. M. Cooke, read the
following resolutions:
WHEREAS, The Constitution of this
State begins with these words, ave,
the people of the State of New York,
grateful to Almighty God for our free
dom, in order to secure its blessings, dc
establish this Constitution" there,
fore,
Re8oIUed, That the high-sounding
declaration is mockery so long as one
half the people are denied all voice in
the government, and deprived of pOlit-
| ical freedom.
ReSOLUed, That the influence of women
is needed in all departments of State
government; in local matters to secure
better roads, cleaner streets, and a more
thorough sanitary rule; in Legislative
affairs to secure puTer administration
and more equal laws.
ResOLUed, That the proposition of oui
| French friends to erect a statue of Lib,
erty on Bedloe's Island, in New York
HarbOr, points afresh to the cruelty O
woman's present condition, since it is
| proposed to represent Freedom as a ma.
| jestic female form in a State where moi
one woman is free.
! ResOLUed, That the thanks of thi.
! Association are due to Messrs. r. H
Straham, George A. West, John HOge
| boom, Jonathan Ogden, and James S
| Graham for their advocacy of Woman
Suffrage in the Legislature of thi:
! State.
ResOLUed, That, in appointing Mrs
Josephine Shaw Russell TO the Office o
Commissioner of Charities, Governo
| Tilden has done well, but that the com
pliment would has been more valuable
! if it had been less empty. In othe
words, if the lady had been given re
muneratiOn as well as responsibility.
The two sisters Julia and Abby SmitI
were then introduced to the audience
and proceeded to give an account o
| their resistance to taxation, telling
with a simple earnestness and quain
humOr that no report can reproduce
the story of how the collector had agail
and again visited their house, takin!
first their cows, then selling meadow
land worth 1000 for S72, again levyin,
on their bank stock, and lately ono
more selling away their cows.
At the afternoon session Mrs. Heller
NJ. Slocum delivered an oration, il
which she predicted the governmental
reforms which women would accom-
plish when they secured favorable op
portunity. She also, in conclusion, de
manded a reconciliation of the presen
unjust Inconsistency in the wages 0
men and women.
She was followed by Mrs Saral
Goodyear, who, in a brief speech, dwell
in vein of playful satire on man,
of the follies of the present masculin
rule.
The resolutions were then adopted
after which Miss Susan B. Anthon,
read a resolution on the death of ven
erabIe laborer in the cause of woman
enfranchisement, Mrs. Lydia Mott
and pronounced eulOgy on her de
parted friend.
The evening session was again occu
pied by the National Woman Suffrag
Association, Mrs. Gage acting as Chair
man. Mrs. Sara J. Spencer read th
resolutions which were adopted, afte
which Miss Susan B. Anthony mad
an address, in which she pointed ou
the great Importance of giving wOme
the ballot as means of enabling then
to earn their bread. At the close of he
speech the venerable Smith sister
again spoke. The scene on this occasio
was one long to be remembered Th
two sisters standing side by side as the
related the story of how they came t
think of resisting taxation, while th
younger women who filled the rear {
the platform leaned forward to hea
them, and the large audience crOwde
to the front portion of the hall, listenin
with rapt attention to the simple story
After their remarks, Miss Perkins re
cited "Only a Girl" and the Conver
tion adjourned.