Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1881-02-10
THE WOMEN SUFFRAGISTS
A Horrible Charge Against
Them by a Newspaper.
NO SHORT HAIRED WOMEN
Annual Meeting Of the Association
A Dozen and Half Of Speakers
and Nothing New Said,
MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENTS !

Association was the excitement of last
week in q certain circle of the many that
revolyo about the Hub That it WAS
exactly very exciting affair, for tine
association has somewhat passed its giddy
season of early youth, and is able to CON
duct itself with the dignity and assursbos
that become respectable adult of mature
years, especially when inspired by the
belief that the years have not been lived
in vain. To be sure, the great object of
its existence is not yet accomplished.
Universal suffrage Is not yet sn established
TACT in Massachusetts. But they who
should best know, say that is mere
question of few years. more or less, and
they can we'll afford to wait, having the
satisfaction in the meantime of being
treated with great respect and considera.
tion on all occasions, and particularly on
that of their annual visit to
the State House, to plead ''the
cause" before the assemblage of wisdom
then gathered. And IL they
who speak for the association are satisfied
the world ought to be, although the Rep
resentatives Hall was refused them this
year on the grounds as stated in the Herald
of this city, that the "ladies always make
mess of things, and carry away docu-
ments" &c. II this isn't ground for an
action of libel against the Herald by the
ladies' of the association, can't imagine
what could be To accuse them of "mak-
ing mess of things" sounds rather mean,
but to bring charge OF petty larceny
against them is rather more than mean.
But they don't mind it, for the Herald is a
good fellow in the main, and must have
its little joke; every fling that the ''men and
things" man can get in at the suffragists
goes just SO far toward filling up the
column allotted to him, and you know II
is really very hard work to grind out a
column of original briliiaucy every day OF
your life, if you don't just try it and you'll
soon be glad to go back to your old occu-
patton, however prosy and tiresome that
may be thankful if you get back alive, and
with your scalp in its normal condition.
So the association spoke by its usual
mouthpieces, before the committee in the
Green Room of the House of the Gilded
Dome, AID in the evening and during the
entire following day, held its annual en-
tertsiument-'fe feast of reason and flow of
soul"-in the Meioneon, fremont Temple.
The hall was well filled at every session,
the sexes being about equally divided,
and the class Of people evidently of the
best. | went the first evening, and re-
iuuiueh hn muir Ut sU, hHu hIteT CAREFUL
inspection, l didn't see short-haired
woman anywhere and the only long
haired men we're they whose locks were
so white that they were privileged to be
long, especially in this cold weather. /
saw one lady up in the balcony, whose
fingers were flying with clock like
precision that made me nervous, long
crochet needle and worsted being en-
ployed in the manufacttre of some pre-.
sumably useful or ornamental article. 1t
reminded me of whet l have read of the
old days of anti.slavery excitement, when
the big, riotous meetings were held at
fremont Temple, and when the women
hlled all the front seats and kitted away
for dear life through the whole proceed.
ings. the object OF their knitting I am
not clear about, but am sure there was
something very philautropic about it.
The addresses which l heard were deliv-
cred by the Hon. W s. Bowditch, the
venerable president of the association
by Col. L. w. Higginson of the Legisla.
ture and Miss Mary F. Eastman. The
last two named are remarkably fine
speakers, and it is always pleasure to
hear them on whatever subject. They
said nothing new nor, l imagine, did any
of the other dozen and half speakers OF
that and the following day. Quite probs.
bly, there Id nothing new to say on the
subject, but l suppose a good thing will
bear endless repetitions. Perhaps the
more practical way is 10 do more and say
less. Bat there are those, especially in
this blessed country of ours, who believe
in talk. For my part, think more would
have been gained to the cause, if every
individual who follows up these and other
hI,l
get the women of Massachusetts to vote
for school officers, instead of fretting and
quibbnR because the law doesn't Just suit
them in its provisions. The law is well
enough and the sufrsgists who kick
against it are cutting their own throats--
to mix metaphors. The strongest and
practically the only argument now heard
against the matter is that ''the women
don't want to vote !" And it's mighty
telling one, too.
You'll begin to think, I'm afraid that
I'm making suffrage specially" of these
letters, but what you have from this
craaky "Hubn of ours? Haven't we q
Governor, who in his recent message,
come out with the very broadest and
strongest Endorsement of the principle
that has been made within the memory
of man? / shouldn't do my duty 81 a
correspondent if / didn't touch up the
subject now and then. For myself /
believe in it, of course, on general and
abstract principles, and on particular, con
crete principles too, for I've got pet
hObby--every Boston woman is credited
with hobby, you know-snd I'm very
much afraid that ] shall soon ride that
hohby.horse plum against stone wall,
for the one reason that am not a rioting
citizen
And now I'll turn to more melodious
topics, and tell you that We have had some
Thomas cOncerts-Theodore Thomas, /
mean; the other kind we have every fine
night on the back sheds. The press Of
The city criticize the little roly poly leader
rather strongly, and say that he has degen-
Grated and is living on his reputation, and
that our own Philharmonic orchestra,
young as il is, is far ahead of his. One
paper said that Thomas spraug upon the
stage in the ''hoop-ls! here we are again /"
style. For myself thought the concerts
good. especially the representations of
LA Damnation de Faust" which was
given by one of the grand choruses for
which Boston is famous, and by fine
soloists.
Among the other musical events of the
past week, were couple of recitals given
Al the Meionaon by MIR. Gustav Sstter
the celebrated piano virtuoso and COM
poser, who excelled particularly in the
rendition of his own works; the second
concert of the season OF the Boylston
Club-one Of Boston's institutions-st
Music Hall, and the second recital at
Wesleyan Hall by Mr.. Otto Bendix, the
famous pianist, who has recently come to
this country to connect himself with the
corps OF instructors at the Conservatory,
agd upon whose talents and method the
critics seem unable to lavish enough praise.
All the above entertainments were en-
coursged by full houses, and generous sp-
plsuse where it was deserved.
The boy owners of double ripper"
sleds and the aldermen are still fighting
over that bone of contention, the Common.
Before they settle it the long-delayed thsw
will come, and that will settle it.
RoBN