National Republican., 1880-12-16
WORKING FOR WOMEN.
A FEMALE SUFFRAGE CONVENTION.
Opening Session at Lincoln Hall-Addrcsses by Or.
Blackwell, Lucy Stone, and Othcrs-The
Platform Of Principles Announced
Some OF Those Present.

The eleventh annual meeting Of the woman's
National Suffrage Association was held at Lincoln
Hall last night While the large auditorium was
by no means crowded, yet n very fair audience
rs to numbers was present 1t was decidedly an
Intellectual audience, as If in recognition Of the
fact that this association Is supposed to represent
the dignity as well rs an equal share of the brains
Of the woman suffrage movement; even if It does
not claim the rushing enthusiasm which marks
the progress ofthe sister wing Of the party. The
advertised hour of opening was halfpast seven,
and punCtunlly at that time DR.. III. H. Blackwell,
the president of the association called the meeting
TO order tnFsu
on the stage besides DR.. Blackwell were Mrs.
fayctte Undenal Courier Miss Mary Grew, OF Phil
adclphia Miss Matilda IIindman, of Pennsylva-
MA; MA Mrs ITS Mary y Hagga[t:of Indianapolis; Mrs.
Of Rhode Island, and Mrs. Cleveland OF these
Time Ts 1s has 'AS dealt SenSBs SnSB w GG mSt Mrs. sons
as he docs with all women Of large brain
and warm, loving hearts. She looks the
picture of rosy and cOncned health, with kind,
mothcrly fnce, broad and rounded forehead and
large enough development Of the cerebellum to
show that tho busy, restless thinking bruln within
was backed up by sufficient physical force, pas
sionato and aggressive, to carry its owner through
probnoiy' many years more Of active working life.
chubby cheeks, the quiet, gentle but Obscrvnnt
eyes, and the soft, pleasant voice completed q
picture that was very pleasant TO gaze upon. She
was dressed with elegant simplicity of taste in
ustrclcss black silk with illusion lace around her
neck and at her bosom.
Mrs. Helen NJ. Cougar, Of Indiana, one of tho
orators OF the evening" Is n young and handsome
lady. doubtless rs fascinating and charming In
social rs she certainly is eloquent and logical in
public life Mrs. Cougar Is decided blonde, with
iuNuriant masses of light brown hair, frizzlcd up
~ front upon full, magnificent forehead and
shauing deep blue eyes that flash and sparkle with
each humorous idea, or burn and glow with steady
40 gnpll nf md gtrnn nnar
thought. Her face indicates her character
Intense, intellectual, clear She wore black
velvet hat, with appropriate trimmings; crimson
bow at her throat rested upon mass of snow.
white lace, the one bit of color that relieved the
white clear cut fncc, from which all color had fed
70 settle in tho scarlet lips; black silk dress,
black silk coat trimmed with fur, gold watch ut
her girdle and No, 2 kid boots.
Mrs Mary b. Eastman, equally distinguished as
talRer and thinker, is a lady of middle nge,
with large, handsomely shaped head prominent
nose and forehead, brown hair a strong, quiet,
handsome face, which attracts more than, one
glance, she was dressed In maroon colorcd vel
vet sack aud black velvet and silk dress. Mrs.
Elizabeth B. Chase Is about the same age as Mrs.
Eastman, with flill forehead, open countenance,
bonnet and cloth Coat All these ladies, with the
others not described had that quiet self possession
which comes equally of good blood and conscious
on the audience was a favorable one.
In calling the meeting TO order DR.; Blackwell,
who is short, rather stout old gentleman, with
grny beard and hair and clear pleasant voice,
said that the Association was composed of regu.
larlyeected delegates from different State organ.
unorganized bodies. They had here delegates from
eleven states. They come here to ask for great
change in the existing order of things They come
to ask for the enfranchisemcnt of women, not as
act of hostility to man. but act ofustice to
him us well as to themselves Women needed the
ballot to protect themselves. and man needed
womens votes as adjuncts to his own efforts in the
cause of temperance and other reforms. Those
who object to the enfranchisemcnt of women do
not want themselves dsfranchised, which they
would have to do in order to be either consistent
or just. Dsfranchisement was not tho principle
upon which the American revolution was insti.
tutcd
Continuing at considerable length, Dr. Black.
well made very plausible argument in favor of
woman suffrage.
Helen NJ. Cougar, who read long and carefully
prepared paper. Avoiding the discussion ofthc sub.
ject as general proposition, but continuing her
address was both happily conceived and gracefully
delivered. Her voice Is n clear soprano, dis.
tnct well modulated, with not little melody in
Its pure soft tones She began by quoting remark
of Horace Greeley's about his daughters His
ambition was for them to grow up into healthy
wives to honorable noble men, and, If God so
pleased, for them to become the mothers of healthy,
happy children. But If, said the great journalist
they should wander into the caucus, the conven.
ton on the stump, or into the Senate, there to
plunge into the discussions on politics that prevail
In those places, becoming In short, not happy
wives and mothers, but men with female physiques,
theirs commenced Upon thistext Mrs Cougar built
up discourse of considerable latitude, II Is true,
but sticking sufficiently close to the text to make
its appropriate reitcrntion u wcll-rounded period
to many forcble point She freely conceded the
wisdom of the wise that all women should become
happy wives to honorable men, and healthy
mothers to healthy children but women could be
more than this. It was evidently plan of nature
that women should be mothers, but nature has
been equally as imperous IN demanding that men
of offspring depend ms much upon one parent
as another So the reasons that urge wo
men TO become healthy mothers apply with
healthy fathers. But Mr. Greeley would limit the
sphere of women's usefulness to wifehood and
motherhood. lie was opposed to extending 1t, be.
male physi9ucs." The speaker did not think that
to be II man was such terrible thing. What was
man? An embodiment of truth, love, generosity
courage, and no9leness, God made man in his
mOny images of God, and consequently II women
by entering literature, art science and politics
nSc"%S ,SG"H% mGn mod %h h. female she
iden of the necessary degradation of physical
weakness was born Of an age when the law that
might made right" pTrevailed.: That law had
passed away the woman would get full justice.
Mrs. Cougar went OH at great length, making
many good "hits" and displaying much logical
aClImen.
During her address Il collection was taken up to
deirny the expenses of the evening
Mrs, Lucy Stone followed Mrs. Cougar, declaring
she did not intend to make aspeech, but only an
nouncc the programme for to-day. Nevertheless
Mrs. Stone, IN her own inimitable manner, made
an argument of much force In favor of her theory.
to Congress- asking for sixteenth amendment and
for the enactment of laws to introduce female suf
fragc in the Territories.
Dr. Blackwell announced that telegram had
been received from the Governor of Wyoming
Territory regrctting his inability to be present
The meeting then adjourned until today.