National Republican., 1880-12-17
SEEKING SUFFRAGE.
LAST OF THE woMAN,s CONVENTION.
Formal Statement Of What They want from Con.
grcss Officers Elected for the Ensuing
Year-LddrCssc by Fred Douglass,
Mrs. Liycrmorc, and Others.

The American womans Suffrage Association held
their sessions in Lincoln Hall yesterday at ten n
and halfpast two and hOlfpast seven p. m. The
business ofthc first session devoted principally
TO the appointment OF committees and the consid.
Grafton OF reports from various sections Of the
Union on the status Of the movement. Tho hall
was comfortably fllod all day, and among the
spectators were Mrs. Sara A. Spencer and Mrs.
Marilla Ricter, Of the other wing Of the suffrage
movement
At the afternoon session letters regrctting in.
ability to attend were read from Joseph and Abby
Sheldon, of Connecticut; Mrs. o. Langhorne of Vr.
ginin, and Mrs. N. j. Coggeshall, of Iowa. Mrs. A.
u. Blackwell was then introduced, and presented
her views at length on the suffrage question claim
ing that the evils which now surround the ballot.
box would be wiped away II women were permitted
TO vote
Miss Mary Grew, Of Pennsylvania, the next
speaker, contended that men did not pay enough
attention TO the subject Of woman suffrage. They
seemed TO think u enough that men should vote,
and did not consider for a moment that they were
disrcgariing the teachings of the Declaration Of
Independence when they deprived women of this
privilege, The use Of the ballot by women would
ties Of her sisters, as whatever drgged down one
class of people Invariably affected oil other
classes. In conclusion, She asked that the men Of
this country would do for women what they had
done for the oppressed slaves in'thc South
before Introducing the next speaker Miss Ma
tildn nindman, of pittsburg Pa, the chairman,
mittee TO circulate baskets. Before the committee
Ind len the stage the audience had commenced to
rush for the door whereat the finance committee
however, md reported small collection,
Miss iiindman, in an elaborate argument,
claimed that suffrage was not merely question of
voting but a social and political problem. II had
been said that politics were dcbaSing, aud that
women should not bc brought In contact with pco-
pie with whom even men would not associate.
Her answer TO this was that If women were al
lowed 70 vote they would elevate the toni, of poll
ties, and there would be no more talk Of debase-
At the conclusion Of her remarks an appeal was
made for subscriptions to the HOmUis Journal,
nnd the convention then took recess until even
ing
THE EVENING SESSION.
The evening session commenced nt 1:30 o'clock,
Dr. blackwell calling the meeting TO order and
reading the list Of the officers for the ensuing year
put IN nomination. who were unanimously elected.
They are as follows; President, DR.. Mary T..
Thomas, OF Indiana; vicepresidents nt large, Colo
mel I. Wentworth HgginSon, Mary A. Livermore,
Hon. George +. Honr, of Massachusetts,; Dr. Aida
G. Avery, OF Colorado; Margaret " Longlcy, of
George " Julian md Mrs. z. y Wallace Of indi %
ana; Hon. A. a: Sargent, of California; Mrs.
Beverly Allen, of Missouri; Governor st, John, of
Kansas. Chairman Of executive committee, Lucy
Stonc corresponding secretary, Julia Ward Howe;
foreign corresponding secretary, Matilda Hind.
nos, and Henry Henry Il. blackwell, Of Of Mnssachusctts ~
Ex-oiiicios representing the various States of the
Union, were also elected.
WHAT THEY ASK.
The following resolutions were read and adopted
On the last one n rising vote was taken as a mark
OF respect TO the memory of the dead:
Resolved, That we urge upon Congress the per.
formance fthree important duties In behalf of the
women of America
First. To enact n law giving women citizens OF
the United States, resident in the Territories the
same political rights MS are exercised by the male
citizens of the United States resident therein
Second: To reform the laws affecting the rights
Of married women In the District Of Columbia and
"Third. To submit to the States a constitutional
amendment prohibiting political distinction on
" Resolved, That we advise our auxiliary State
societies to petition their respective Legislatures
to enact law this winter comforting suffrage on
article Q, Of the Federal Constitution
whereas, since the last annual meeting of the
association, three eminent advocates Of the claim
away"Iucretia Mott, Lydia Maria Chill Chiids, 9Snd and
Nathaniel White-therefore,
"ResOited That the American Woman Suffrage
Association records its grateful appreciation OF
theirinvnluablc services and of
loss, now that the eloquent voice IS silent, the
ready pom dropped, and the generous hand is cold
actcr and great achievement they have left us the
permanent inspiration of a noble example"
arose and paid very graceful and eioaucnttribute
TO the memory Of Lucretia Mott, Mrs. Childi, and
Mr.. Nathaniel White.
sympathy with the cause. lie was 80 entirely I'm
love with 1t that he thought 1t deserved the highest
eloquence and the prOfoundeSt carnesncss il could
command to advance 1t. He knew of no reason
why man should vote and q woman not, The
Republic needed the good qualities of Its citizens
to help 1t, and recognizing the intelligence and
heart of women he was in favor of opening every
avenue by which their intelligence and moral
worth could be utilized for the benefit of the coun
try
II was an injury, he thought, to keep any person
in this country from tho ballot when suffrage was
n nm n 10
keep n man out of the mud black his boots. IfyOu
want 10 develop wolnan's best qualities, give her
the ballot.
OTHERS WHO sPoKE
Mrs. Mary T. IIaggart, of Indiana, followed with
bold and brilliant argument, presenting the
claims of her sex TO the ballot DIR. Blackwell read
q letter from Hon George B. Loring, rcgrcttng his
unexpected inability 70, be present Mis-, Mary
Eastman of Indiana, followed and at the close Of
her speech ladies went through the audience with
blank'books TO obtain signatures for membership.
Mrs. Mary +. Iivcrmore then asked how II was
that women to-day are exposed TO hotter fire
than ever before. Women are not rs much toasted
at banquctS or iattered with eYtravagant COM
plimcnts as few years ago. She warned her hear
peg TO hang millinery goods on, she would be rid.
died with the shafts Of ridcule. If she entered the
sphere of man. and sought, by the cultivation of
her intellect, TO elevate both herself and man. she
would equally expose herself to satire. The times
were different now from the past. The question of
woman suffrage in one form or another was con
snntly coming up everywhere.
Fred. Douglass then made brief address simply
TO correct All error into which the speakers had
iallcnthat the negro had had suffrage thrust upon
him without his asking for 1t. As matter of fact
he stated that the negro had frequently and per