The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1882-02-01
wssu.scroS LErrEl:.
WAsnussrox. Jan. II. 1852.

WAsHsssTos, Jan. Il, 1882
'Tis sweet 10 turn from the din Of
Legislative debates at the capitol 70
the hen like eachination OF a wO-
mans rights convention. Debates
in Congress, since Isutlar, Blaina.
C'onkiing and Thurman arc no mors,
haze grown tame. 20, when heard
that the National Woman's Rights
Convention was holding its four
teenth annual session ut Lincoln
Hall, ] hied me thither TO hear such
old "war horses" or, to beexact, war
mares, as Susan B. Anthony and
Cady Stanton. and to dwell upon
the dulcet tones OF the younger Ia
dies, who make pretty speeches in
kid gloves. | have an almost ro-
mantle admiration for Susan Il. An.
thony-s skill, as a presiding officer;
she Is not excelled in this role by
Blaine himself. Mrs. Stanton knows
what to say, how to say il, and the
kind OF clothes to say il in.
One OF the first things the conven-
ton did was to spring this resolu-
ton upon the nineteenth century:
Resolred, That il is the duty Of
Congress to add a sixteenth amend
ment to the constitution. sor5ijding
any state to deny the right Of SUI
frage on account OF sex.
When this resolution was read.
Miss Anthony came to the front ard
asked for an emphatic aye in favor
OF it, and she got pretty unani-
nous affirmation from about two
hundred ladies present. Miss Coas-
ms then arose To speak to the resoiu-
ton. She said she bad been four
weeks III the city trying 10 influence
Congress. She dwelt upon the su-
perior accommodations of the Sen
ate over the House for female lobby
isrs. She said that the House had
turned the ladies' waiting room into
q smoking room for members OF
Congress, and she then switched of
on a TRADE against tobacco, which
she concluded with the wi-ii that
every smoker might be tossed into
political oblivion . On. it is funny
10 hear them talk Il i strange
tha: we have no verbatim reports of
their verbal folly. The opposers Of
the movement would want no better
argument against Its success.
Now, propose to make a little
speech 20 these suffrage aspirants.
Ny dear ladies in siiken dresses, kid
gloyes, point lace ruflles, and patent
corsets: You do not need votes,
and it is not from such agitation as
yours that revolutions come. You
have no wrongs that suffrage will re-
dress. There is no argument in your
stale platform witticisms upon the
ungallantry of man; no such pathos
in your cause as:wrested magma char
IA from tyranny, or hurled the
French revolution upon the nine
teenth cycle with such force that i
has not ceased rolling. Have pa-
tience, ladies, and talk less folly
with your mouths. If this expert
ment of suffrage, which the United
States and France have only begun
prayerfully to test, shall prove Il
good thing; If it shall be able to
cope with the menacing problems OF
to-day, why, then, tomorrow it may
be wise to extend it to You. But
let us hasten slowly. or we will trip.
This country does not need more
voters, Just now, any more than
keifer's committees need more
heads and tails; what il needs is
better voters, cooler and more dis
cerning voters, and from the talk Of
the best of you on the platform, we
are not hopeful that YOU can sup
ply the need, not even though the
old fashioned and somewhat obso-
lete process of bearing and rearing
good men. Have patience. When
The age and the time shall call you
70 the polls. and to the Senate, satan
himself cannot bar you. But this
lge does not call you, and the effort
Of a very few of you to cell your
selves is ridiculous. When you 80
;emble once year and say over the
Did platitudes to half a house ~
istless women, we fell that the most
itting comment would be that with
which DIR. Johnson answered the
leputation of ladies, who came TO
him on the success Of
lis book. After the spokesman had
inished her address hereplied: "Fid-
lie de-de, my dears. fiddle-de-de." F"
CAS-