, 1876-04-24
WOMEN IN WASHINGTON.
Elizabeth Cndy Stanton on Fasii.
ionnble Lifc In the Ma
ti0nnl Capital.
In Her Opinion the Mon Arc Response
bio for Female Extravaganza in
Dress and Jowels.
Female Suffrage the Only Romedy
to Eradicate the Evil.

, Mrs. Elizabeth Cady Stanton lectured al No
CosmIok's Hail yesterday attsrnoon. undor tho
auspices Of tho Sunday Lootulo Society, tnktng
a. her theme, "Womsn 10 WAahington," Tie
stle OF the lec.urs proved 10 havs very lltsio 10
do with its substance, and, IT II had boon used
to draw an audience; It failed. for tho hall WAS
very litt1s moro than half f'ted.
Tie lecturer wAs introduced by thu Hon.
Johu Wentworth. Altar shn had nss!miIa!ed the
present condition OF women In Reuerat with tho
ordinary ahlpwreck. IN lengthy and 1lRhty
comparison, sho said tho country had bocn con-
vu1aed by rocont revelations At WhahiuRton In
which Mrs. Deitnap had figured. Ahs was one
OF tho thousands Who wAs the oroAture Of man'a
fancy. sho had grown up To tueot tho fasblon-
Abc domnnd. which Oh tho part Of mon waa for
hepless, loving, aud dressJ women. Mon were
to hlamo Of cuufao In tho lecturer's opinion, for
Mrs. nolknap'e rise and fall, for ahs had bren
led On step by stop, and had bowed at their fool
lab Bhr1ne In catering to foolish faocies Ant do
prAyod, thoughtless tastoB. Womon In Wash-
fngeon we're divided into
TunEs otAssEs.
First, the o.faehionabe, which WAS
composed Of tho poor Who apea tho rich IN droas
and allow, tmporerisbtng themselves bS lndug-
clrcnmstaneoa would not Justify. They wore
thoso who had descended from tho sminontfy.
respectable to d painful mcdiocrity Oh Accolnt
Of inhorens notions OF family pride. MANY of
motnbors Of Compensatory now to the Depart-
1nsnts on small salarles aud their ambition 10
excei Was grinding them down avery day and In
croasug their de0endance.
Inc Boo nd class was composed Of Tho Dol.
.knaps, wtlI'ntnaes, and the hubitue. Of
White Houes circles. Temptation o1ored
bad bad ovelposesoa 81 sheIn. 1i they had vas
physical Development, and Ii thoir
ambition 10 o1cel :hoy wore found clothed III
diamonds aud whatever eiso thAt would ndd to
tle.r outward attracklyeptss. Social rivalry
Among thon had beco1no "a Broat "a ras tile
rivalry for political power auaonG thor fathers
aud husbands. 10 MAINTAIN their sovcsai POSI-
question of spccla-resumption and hard or aoit
money MAS nXltattn9 osher mlnda, th9y bad no
care a. to the quality, 40 The quantity. WHs So
cured, AnJng thesc wonlcn Horc tue ehrcwdest
IL WAahlnstop aud sonle OF thnn, to koep np
appeal aucos and to excel. had aono into polit-
lcal and financial spooulatlous. Samson shorn
OF his lockB could be compared 70 country
Congressman surrounded By this
CLASS or WOMEN.
They adhered to taahlon without regard to
tho origin Ut the fashion. understanding onfv
that, In SO doing, thoy were pleasing tho men At
the expenao Of their wonanhood. M&B. Dntkuap
was good illustration Of tho growth and devei-
ormant Of thls class, when nog r1se tnd fall was
conalaerad. The boaated Declaration Of lnde-
pendance had bssu made Ilo by these faBh,on-
nble women. wherein to declare that all we,o
created equal aud endowed With certain unaiion-
able rights. Mss. D., In lor palmv days, wors
dressoB tho most iukustaut, but when she was
tue centre OF all attraction worry few imagined
,h" blow she was lu1ctlng upon heEself and rex
III The weAkueHs OF her mind. No ono kneH
how mitch hor eleganoe cost she one-leEEod
soldlofs on the frontier in tho neoesstias Of lite
Whcu she last appeared in public tho lecturcr
saw her u tired. jailed being. sds bad c!lmbad
from nothing to the plnnacte or fAhhtonabio
famo, and tho patriotic solder bad paid Tor Il a'
Sho lad bsen driven to tho extssMea to which
she had goue to plense The men who surrounded
her, and thoy Wero refponsible for much OF her
frallty. sha would bo polluted 70 ~ type .!
American OF fFoo womeh, and Aore nas tho EFeas
representative, aud the III oaker'a respect for cor
tain memories osuaed her to tefrsin from tho
mention Of the namo Of tho woman who bad in'
auRurated In Washington what had led To the
tivu women ir Washington life had been Mrs.
Eretooat, Pierce, Seward, Harriet Lane. DRtr.
a,d olhsrs. Thoy dreased plain, conveIsod in-
| toll,gently. and did tho'r sek credit. To mora
clearly illustrate tho condition OF Affairs, tue
lecturer 1ete,red to senator Chrstiancy marrying
an employe ip tho Treasury Department
| Mra. fish had been tue flrdt TO call upon the
bride, put wAs TO lowed BY tho other society
women AZ . matter Of fashion. She had feared
that Mrs. Cl,rist,ancy would oe drawn into fash.
ialy, Who lad cared fol hogaoIt. and who Nle
competent to caro- for hor husband. From tatt
| bhe dsduced tho ldoh that tho higher order o1
mon aud wou1en we're responsible for the acts q
| tLo lower orders, which Was tho roauls OF mans
contompt for .--....----.
| in the Gpyernment. Tha contempt, abe said
had nhdo women but ths echo and tempsets o
nAu, when, II they we're tiuo to themselves
thoy wonld be leadof0. 49,.
Tho third ciuss OF women In Washington vert
the strong. minded, OF whloh she was ono. Un
dor thss hoad aha reproduced nll tile old Arsn
had appealed 10 reason rather tLat
| riches; had commended patriotism ~ noble
virtuo anutaught the danger OF indlEcot redpon.
sibIlity on tho part OF any olass OF people to q
Ind perished from iaxury and ease than from
conluests. Sovou yoArB ago this clans CON
mepoo1 work in Washington. and this being tht
Centennta!, II MAS aiming at grand triumph
Tho Republican party had enfranchlsod the ne
groes, and Bho thought tho Democracy oouls
beautifully round up the century BY doing ths
san1e tor women. Tbo lion. 8. 8. Cox had pro
sented memorial 10 Congress- iu the interest o
tho cause. The memorial had beou advocated
by Republican. and 90 much at least had beef
gained. 1he speakcr here diverted to glorlf
Tho lnuch-ebuBel Susan B. Anthony. whom she
coMPAnED TO QUEEN VICTORIA,
and who, ahe satd. onshs TO to-day recc!Yc M ~
|
tagged, but not hhndsomo," BY ths public prcsa
bat no woman living could compare with her Il
forca Of character, and no ono vas ttuer rep
resentattge Of her sex. She was ''our old Susa
D. Anthony" and With tho spesk ker eho aaYa
catod tho ideh just now being takcn hold Of l
foreign countsieB, that tho gi1ing Of politics
poner to wonlan 'as tho next atcp III onr civil
cation. tLAnghtor.]
The speaker oloscd With contrasting the fash
iouaho and atrong minded women OF tho laud
Iha former. nsupil ~ they wore. could live liz
puppies, And continue fur = tina At Waahingto
to develop political demorslization. They uoul
die out With their dlnncrA and wines. whic
would eventually yield to tho solid, practice
souse Of the people. That their fsnoes All
fsshions should do out wAs essential 10 tho poe
petu!ty Of Republican institutions. These but
tarAiea had looked upon men ~ fountains {
munoy, and Mrs. Daiknap amooR them had boz
! in return respected for hor drcss, dinners, ~
vino, Bha had bad her day, aud the eud ut u,
followers would Boon como.
TIE srAouo-MINpKD WokRA
would come to tho front. When they did com
thoy would be found independent, not helpless
l = I Il {r,se Inh1 {1A