Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1882-09-28
{ HE REPORTER.
Official County Paper.
Grand Rapids. Sept. %, 'S2.
STATE SUFFRAGE CONVENTION
Report of Mrs. Stella Baker, as Dele
gate rom this city.

mr.. president and FrienCtS:-As
your appointed delegate to the Wo-
mans Suffrage Convention, held in
the Assembly Chamber of the Capitol.
at Madison, Sept. 7th and Sth, I
took the train from Centralia the af-
ternoon of the 9th, and went to Val
ley Junction, there staid over night,
took the early morning train en- route
for Madison. The morning air was
heavy with dense fog and through it
over marshes, and swamps, we crept
until we came into the Baraboo vicini-
ty, then rocks, bluffs, and rolling
lands diversified the scenery as we
came to DEVILS Lake. The scene was
more beautiful than I can describe, on
the left OF US the rocks looking as
though some mighty power had stood
on the summit of the ledge and with
his mighty hand had hurled over
these rocks Unfortunately all sizes
and forms, big and little, round and
square, jutted and pointed, this mass,
giving us nature in the beauty of it's
reckless, wild, unceremonious phase
Then we would come upon mass of
rock, looking like some old Cathedral
or Castle; in my fancy I thought, fit
place for the home of giant. Great
rocks clean and square cut laid up one
upon the other with mathematical pre-
cision looming way up into the over
hanging mists which had risen and
hung in heavy riffs over the top of
the cliffs with here and there break
letting the sunshine through, striking
the lake that lay on our right, giving
it great beauty. but on and on we
went. I arrived at Madison at about
III o'clock in the morning, and was in
vited by Mrs. G. E. Lewis to her
home to make it my home, during my
stay. Mrs. Lewis is an authoress and
an artist and her home is full of the
elegancies that beft literary and arts
tic taste.
At three O'Clock private meeting
of delegates was appointed at the
home of Mrs. Helen r. DIN, CORES
ponding secretary of the Local society
OF Madison. and recently appointed
Chairman of the Executive Commit
tee, Of the State organization. We
there met and spent the afternoon in
social talk and conference in regard to
the business of the coming day, DR..
Laura Ross Wolcott and Marion v.
Dudley represented the origina. Wis.
State Organization, which was organ
lied fourteen years ago.
Many did not know of this organi-
cation, its ways and means of work,
had been such that although much
work had been done, much stir had
not been made. So the mistake arose
that this was local Milwaukee organ
ization, while in fact it was constitu-
tionally State organization. AMIGA
bic arrangements were made and
giving the Original State Association
due appreciation for pioneer work
performed, it was decided at that
private meeting to re-organize on the
morrow under a revised constitution.
All joining hands in the work of rear
ing the structure that it Is our purpose
to rear here in our State of Wisconsin.
The lecture in the evening by Prof.
Bascom, president Of the State Uni
versity, was well attended and was
grand thing, scholarly, strong and
decisive. l cannot tonight in this
short report give you extracts. Many
of you have probably read it III full in
the Tri-Weekly State Journal, issued
Friday.
The morning of the 9Th at 10 O'Clock
found about fifty earnest, thoughtful,
thinking women gathered together
The same spirit pervading the confer
ence, that prompted the revolutionary
fathers to act, "that we must have
Justice"
The first thing being in order, a
committee of seven was appointed to
draft and submit to the convention
constitution. They withdrew to the
committee room. Reports from dele
gates were next called for from all parts
Of the state. They, like our
selves are working for self education
and the up-building of the women of
their communities; bringing them out
of their darkness in which they have
lived; utilizing wasted pow ers, teach
ing them their duties, personally.
socially, as mothers and daughters; as
wives and mistresses of households, as
members of society and citizens of
the state. Did you ever think that