National Republican., 1883-01-25

tho womans cause in the same position that
Drcd Scott had stood to the republican party
Miss Couzins here said that Mrs. Minor was
in one sense her godmother. Defending her
when young girl in 1869 from the insults Of
q pert sprig Of the law, her own attention was
called TO the wrongs Of women and she her
self was then born in the cause.
Mrs. Minor modcsty deprecated the fat
tering introduction given her. She is lady
advanced in years, with her light chestnut
still untouched with gray, with n face of re-
fined intelligence and the high bred south
ern accent in her pleasant vOiCe-u type of
the southern lady of the years gone by. Her
dress was q black silk skirt trimmed with
velvet and black velvet overskirt. She
took high gro unds in favor of woman en-
franchiscmcnt,
THE BAD1CALNEss OF HER VIEWS
and the boldness of her argument contrasting
with her kindly beaming face and her soft,
sweet, pleasant voice. The public school boy,
too often only vain and asscrtive the college
graduate much too frequently, the lawyers
very generally, and the majority of men were
ignorant of the principles of the constitution
under which they lived. Women were in
clined to teach these boys and men that the
principles of the constitution applied not
merely to one-half, but to all of the people.
Now is the time and women intend not TO
overthrow the constitution, but to come back
to first principles. When the constitu-
tion first went into operation the
exercise of suffrage depended on
property qualification and women of wealth
voted along with men. Jefferson was absent
in Europe at that precise epoch, but when he
came back he denounced such limited suffrage
and demanded equal suffrage, equal represent
alton in state legislature and the executive
| elected by the people. 1t isthe men who have
ovcrthrown the republic, and the women who
are trying to restore it. Mrs Minor asserted
| that in the carly days of the country women
vOtcd-votGd because IL was doomed by the
! trainers of the constitution to be their right,
and the granting of the ballot to women now
was but n re-eXcrcisc Of u right that had been
| forcibly taken away. In addition to this, the
fourteenth amendment expressly makes wO-
men citizens.
| Mrs. Minor concluding, Miss Anthony read
the following letter form Gov. b. f. Butler:
WASHINGTON, d. c., jan. %, 1SS3-Afy Dear Mes
AanOny; l received your kind note asking me 10
| attend tue national convention of the friends of
| woman suffrage ut Washington, for which cOur-
! tesy am obliged. My engagements, which haye
! taken me out of the commonwealth, cover all,
/ and more than all, of my tlmc and find um 10
| hurry back leaving some of them undisposed OF.
II will therefore bc impossible for mo to attend
| the invention.
As have already declared my conviction that
| the fourteenth amensment fully covers the right
| of all persons to vote, and as ! assume that the
women of the county are persons, and very i'm.
! pOrtnnt persons TO its happiness and prosperity,
] never nave been able 10 see any reason why
| women do not come within Its provisions.
| | mink that such will be the decision of th
court, perhaps quite us carly as you may be nb .
to get through congress aud the legislatures OF the
] several states anotheramendment. But both lines
Of action may well be followed, us they donOt con-
| flict with each other. This course was taken in
! the case of tho fifteenth amendment, which was
supposed TO DO necessary TO cover the case OF the
negro nllhOugh many OF the friends Of the colored
man looked ooldly upon that amendment, be-
cause 1t seemed to be an admission that the four
teenth amendment was not sufficient. Therefore
God spcoi" IN your agitation for the sixteenth
| anlyEdment,
II viii nave the effect to enljghten the public
mind as ~ The scope of the fourteenth amendment.
am, very truly, your friend aud servant
BENJ. f. BUTLER.
Miss SUSAN b. ANTHONY,
Riggs House, Washington, d. c.
Miss Couzins and Mrs. Shattuck then sang
Mrs. Harbcn's song "The New America" in
which the audience Joined. At its con-
Clusion
MADAME CLARA NEWMAN
was presented to the audience. Madame
Ngyman is of German birth, in whose voice
lust enough of the Tcutonc accent fingers
10 give piquancy to her thoughtful essay.
Her light chestnut hair was frzzcd up in
front and gathered at the back of her head in
Il GrcCian knot dress Of black velvet,
unrelicved save by crimson rose upon
her bosom and white lace at throat
and neck, fitted neatly to Il graceful form
WHOhc NtIlnuu lNlllCho VI OulllDc, uO lchS
than the accent, suggested the Rhine and the
Wcser. The theme of Madume Ncyfnan's very
clever essay was Republican Principles
She traced the struggles which all great prin-
ciples all great reforms make, in order to be
successful. All other reforms have been won
by clash of arms and din of battle, but this
great cause of woman enfranchscment will
be fought with no other arms than those
which justice and right put into the minds
and on the
LIPS OF TRUE MEN AND WOMEN
His onfranchiscment was especially neces-
sary in republic. Where the military spirit
prevails the condition of woman is at its low
est. Germany was notable illustration.
The freedom of country is in proportion to
the freedom of its women. In monarchies
women are not needed by the state, but they
are imperatively demanded by II republic.
The men voters in this country have permit
ted fraud and corruption to grow up, and q
vast oligarchy to ovcrshadOw the land, II
mOneyCd aristocracS with an irresistible con-
ilict between capital and labor threatening us.
Women as voters will help to correct these
evils. She contended that the possession by
woman of the ballot would elevate her nature
as well as mans. Universal suffrage is the
only safeguard of the future,
After Madame Neyman closed her address
the convention adjourned until to-day.
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