The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-02-16
LBTTER PROM WASHINGTON.


vention has just closed the labors of the
ninth anniversary of their meeting in
this city, and it must be especially graft
flying to the members of this body to note
that, in spite of the portentious ques-
tions agitating the minds of all classes |
of the community all over the country, |
and especially in the national Capital,
that their sessions were crowded with |
an interested, intelligent audience, who
never seemed to weary of listening to
women's reasons for demanding the
right to exercise the elective franchise. |
From 10 A. NJ. to 10 P. NJ. Lincoln Hall
was OVERLOOKING. Amongst the audi
ence were the familiar faces of Z. S. |
Senators, members of Congress, women
of wealth and fashion, japanese,
Chinese, German, French, Spaniard,
and exclusive Britisher. Some, per-
chance, drawn by idle curiosity, were
held spell-bound by the magic wand of
truth revealed in an uneXplored do
main; some, with intent to criticise,
left, with minds if not converted, at
least with food for thought; some, whose
intention had been to scoff, listened for
while, then departed, conscious that
that time was past. All seemed satis-
fled that there was something in this
question that demanded an answer,
something that could not be quieted
with laugh or frown.
1t is to be deplored that the various
State Woman Suffrage Associations
were not more fully represented. Surely
these cannot realize the Importance of
this annual rally. Every State that
sent in names to the petition for a six
teenth Amendment to the United States
| Constitution should have sent a dele
gate to present that petition in person.
AS it was, few of the Eastern, two
were alone represented. From Illinois
there came a petition with over six
hundred names, but alas no delegate.
As usual, however, Mrs. Stanton, Miss
Anthony, and Miss Couzins formed a
host in themselves, and their speeches
will be long remembered by those who
were fortunate enough to hear them, as
models of logic, common sense, and elO-
quence. We must not forget to men,
tiOn Mrs. Blake, who made an admira-
ble speech upon the action of the
Newark Presbytery in relation to
women preaching, graphically drawing
| nj ,DF
Craven, and thereby teaching without
intending to, how the passions and
mind physiologicalIy affect the human
system.
Mrs. Stanton made happy illustra-
tioD of the Bible as relates to women
upon a common-sense basis, clearly
proving how utterly impossible it was
at the time of St. Pauls ministry that
women should be generally accorded
the privileges they are now entitled to,
With few words she carried US back
to Athens, eighteen centuries ago; in
troduced US to its society; bewailed the
condition of women at that time, and
pointed out a way by which every
thinking mind can satisfy itself upon
this portentious subject. And indeed
every woman should feel an urgent
necessity to study carefully the history
: of her sex. 1t does not require mucE
scientific research to follow out the grad
ual improvement of woman's condition
up to the Christian Era, from which sh'
: may be said to have risen, a regener
D ated being. Undoubtedly Christianity
j placed woman where she stands to-day
t and, with woman's instructive knowl
edge, she cradles her benefactOr anC
g nurses the plant from which she ha
d drawn her support. Her best energie
S are given to the cause; men take thr
D fruits of her labor. She works for fairs
; builds churches, supports foreign mis-
L sions, teaches the young, and is gra
l. ciously accorded the right to pra!
q aloud; but she must not preach, because
: forsootb, that involves a church, ant
means a salary that some man wants t.
i appropriate to himself 1t is sad bu
astonishing fact that a woman may d
II any kind of work she pleases, so long a
her earnings and the credit of her wOrl
e are assumed by man, but the instan
: she dares accept position by which he
e talent must be recognized, and her sal
a ary paid, then she is out of her sphere
Mrs. Lockwood defined her position a
e an attorney-at-law, and the refusal c
o the Supreme Court to admit her to praC
e tice before its bar. In the course of be
speech a messenger brought to be
copies of the Congressional Record, i
which her bill presented by Mr.. Glove
appeared in full. This "bill to reliev
10 the political disabilities of womeD," s
far as to admit them to the practice {
- any profession, provided they have com
piled with all legal requirements, wa
referred to the Judiciary Committee, b
whom it was unanimously passed, an
y" recommended to the House of Repre-
sentatives for passage.
IL Miss Anthony is too well known fC
4 any mention specially to be made {
her; her speeches are always good, an
" her popularity never flags.
" There seems to be general feeling
oI satisfaction felt over the passage of til