The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-07-13
A NEW YORK LETTER.

nave lOOkeu III vain IN your paper
for some account of our spring conven-
t:on here, but your correspondent in
this city, clever as are her letters, seems
to report everything but suffrage. 1
trust that next winter she will attend
our monthly meetings, and so be able to
keep you posted in all that we are doing.
For you must know that we have a very
flourishing city society, numbering
some five hundred members, which
meets on the first Thursday evening of
every month at the residence of our
President, Mrs. Clemence S. Lozier, NJ.
D., 2S8 West Fourteenth street, where
we had last fall the honor of entertain
ing your chief, Mrs. A. S. Duniway.
These meetings are very enjoyable; the
large and handsome parlors are usually
well filled; We have a speech or paper
by some prominent member of the So
ciety or some distinguished visitor; af-
ter that follows debate, and very often
we have music to vary the more didac-
tic character of the proceedings. This
society is extremely valuable, not only
as giving the friends of suffrage in this
city point of social union, but also as
offering an opportunity for planning
out all sorts of operations, a sort of
armory where weapons of warfare may
be forged. 1t was in these society meet
ings that memorials were prepared and
| mi for x.,;,, ~,
work of passing a bill through the Leg
islature of the State to give women po-
sitions on the boards of education here.
You perhaps know that our efforts were
entirely successful, as the bill passed
both branches of the Legislature, the
Assembly by the large majority of S5 to
%, but was vetoed by the Governor,
who had only the most absurd reasons
to give for his action. -
1t is through this society that petit
tions are circulated and tracts distrib-
uted, and it is this society which on ap-
propriate occasions gets up public meet
ings and demonstrations, and this natu-
rally brings me to our spring conven-
tions. They were held in Masonic Hall,
one of the finest assembly-rooms in this
city, the National Woman Suffrage As
sociation holding it's reunion on the
oath of May, and the New York State
Association occupying the next day.
1t showed the great growth of our
cause that, although neither Mrs. Stan
ton nor Miss Anthony were with US, ou1
sessions were all we'll attended, the even
ing meetings attracting large audiences
The time has passed by when any one
individual is absolutely necessary to the
success of the movement, and there car
be no more encouraging sign of progress
than this.
Mrs. Isabella Beecher Hooker, al
Vice-President, presided, and made two
of the most stirring speeches of the day
f Mrs. Matilda Joslyn Gage, of Centra
| New York, made the report of the exec
, utive committee, and delivered an abl,
address on United States citizenship
: Rev. Olympia Brown, of Connecticut
: was with US and made an impressive
/ speech. Mrs. Laura Andrews Spencer
r of Washington, gave an interesting ac
3 count of her appearance at the Cincin
2 natl Convention last summer, and 1 hat
3 an opportunity of pointing out the i'm
3 portanee of the ballot to secure persona
2 liberty.
Our new board of officers elected il
the afternoon conferred the Presidenc,
? on Mrs. Clemence S. Lozier, whose lonj
3 labors in the suffrage movement are s.
l widely known, and on taking the chai
in the evening, she delivered beautiful
address.
On the New York State day Mrs. Ma
tilda Joslyn Gage, the President, occu
I pied the chair, and we had speeche
g from some of our own people-Mrs
! Helen NJ. Slocum, Miss Helen M. Cooke
of this city, and Mrs. H. Loder, @
POughkeepsie. Mrs. Clara Negruance
: who has recently returned from Europe
read valuable paper on the condition
of women in those foreign countries.
, In the evening ex-Gov. Edward NJ
e Lee, of Wyoming Territory, gave
, graphic account of the establishment @
! Woman Suffrage in that Territory, an,
the perfect success of its workings. w
s elected Susan B. Anthony our standar
1 bearer for the year, and adjourned quit
content with our success, which was il
) every way marked. We were well re
ported in the papers, obtained man,
: new converts, and financially did well
paying all expenses and leaving hand
} some balance in the treasury.
j. OF course at present every one is tax
e ing their summer vacation, since evel
> reformers must rest. Still the umme
/ will not be idle. I intend to make
s canvass of Dutchess county, and othe
apostles of freedom will be active il
? other localities. When autumn bring
: US back to town again, we shall com
< with renewed zest to run the race tha
9 is set before us.
LILLE DEVEREUX BLAKE.
? New York, JUNE, 1877.
o
3 The voters of Wasco county will
: doubtless find that portion of the testi
a.