The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1878-01-19
Our Washington Letter.
Woman Suffrage Convention
Demanding the Ballot Tor
Female Tax E'ayers-A Refroe
spect Of Twenty Years, etc.


sEcct of Twenty Years, etc.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. 10, 1873.
EDITOR CHIEF:
The National Woman Suffrage Con-
vention is holding its annual meeting
in our city. They call it the Sixteenth
Amendment Convention, and are CIV
ing people to understand that they
mean business this time. They have
modified their demands somewhatand !
intend to insist only upon the rights
of actual female tax payers ut this |
time. Heretofore they have clamored |
for the suffrage in behalf of every
thing wearing petticoats, butnow they |
intend to ask that only those women
who have taxes to pay shall help make
the laws that govern them and their
property. Many Of the old stand-bys
of the cause are here, mot in the
least wearied of well-doing, appar-
emily. Elizabeth Cady Stahton-tlat
lovely old lady--is still fair and sweet
to look upon. Fair and fat she is, and
forty twice over-very nearly. Her
face is as serene as a May morning
and it is still framed in the smooth
puffs Of silvery hair that remember
seeing in her pictures when was but
child. The celebrated Smith sisters,
of Glastonbury, Conn, are here, too,
and Isabella Beecher Hooker, Matilda
Joslyn Gage, Lille Deyereaux Blake,
several lady physicians and other able
representatives of the cause. They
are much better supported this year
than they have ever been before and
are accordingly hopeful and CHEEKY
hearted. When such men as Garfield,
Spencer, and others of their stamp,
interest themselves in any movement,
it can not be considered hopeless. |
wonder how such notion would have
been treated here twenty years ago.
As something worse than fighty, l
fancy. But Washington was not the
city two decades back that we see it
to-day. In looking over some remin-
iscences of that time, l recently came
| across the following:
81 we'll remember New Years day
twenty years ago, when Buchanan was
in the White House, and Mr.. Doug
lass in what was then regarded as his
fine mansion, received hosts of friends.
JEFF Davis, Bob Toombs, Bigelow of
Pennsylvania, Speaker Orr, and many
others now nearly forgotten, were the
idols of society then. Mayor Wall
ZACH dispensed profuse hospitalitit S
from his residence near City Hall.
The District was then completely I'M
der the domination of Southern men
and ideas. 1t was essentially South
ern city. Black people were bought
and sold as freely as horses now.
Things logged along after the old
style of slavery. There were no col
ored schools except little private
one kept by Miss Minor, aud it was
in constant danger of being crushed.
Mrs. Stowe had just published Uncle
Toms Cabin in the Era and Gail
Hamilton was governess in DR.. Bailey's
family"
The snow and cold weather are all
that have filed up the gap between
the holidays and the reassembling of
Congress which takes place to-mor-
row. The young folks have enjoyed
three days of foe skating, which is
all they need hope for at present, for
this morning it rains. The sleet-
for such the rain becomes by the time
it reaches the earth-is making the
travelling as bad as it is possible to be,
streets and sidewalks being very wet
and slippery. Small boys are dis
gusted, for they must put away their
sleds, and it is too bad also for their
velocipedes.
Reception days are pretty we'll set
tied upon at length and the season
has fairly, but very quietly, began.
There is much gossip concerning
Secretary of State Evarts, and many
are looking for his resignation from
the Cabinet.
Senator Patterson continues i'll. but
holds frequent interviews with his
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