The Portland daily press., 1885-09-24
WOMAN SUFFRAGE.
Meeting Of the Maine State Assoc
citation Last Evening.

The storm interfered somewhat with the
attendance at the Woman's Suffrage Conven-
ton at Chestnut street church last evening,
yet fair attendance was present at the
opening meeting. An organ voluntary was
performed by Mrs George o. Gosse, Scrip
ture reading by Rev. Mr.. Bashford, prayer
by Rev. Mr.. Collins of Chebeague, and a solo
by Mr.. c. FL. Barnard. Rev. Mr.. Bashford
gave an addresses of welcome of which the
following is an abstract
DIR. BAsHFoRDs WELCOME.
DR.. Bashford gave a hearty welcome to the
members to whom the Chestnut Street Society
had unanimously voted the use of their place of
worship. He spoke of the City of Portland as one
that stood foremost in intelligence, temperance
and morality, even if it was not Saints rest"
or 1.-THE city of Cod"
He welcomed them because he believed their
cause just, and that it is represented by pure and
self-sacrifcing workers. We congratulate our
selves, said he. that we to hear, either in per
son or by letter, from Governor Frederick Robe,
our Congressman Hon. Thos. B. Reed, Hon. j. H.
Drummond and Ex-Governor and now Congress
man Hon. Nelson Dingley, ,Ir. We congratulate
open support of seven or eight of the ministers
OF the city, and eminent names OF the living and
others we remember Abraham Lincoln, Chief
Justice Chase, Wendell Phillips. John g. Whit
tier, Charles Summer; Henry Wilson, President
Thomas Bowman, John F. Hurst and Matthew
Simpson Of the. Methodist church, John Stuart
Mills and Ralph Waldo Emerson and VIM. E.
Gladstone. Among the eminent women who have
openly advocated your cause are Florence Night
ingale, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Lucretia Mott,
Llvermore, Louisa NJ Alcott, Elizabeth Stuart
Phelps, Harriet Prescott Spofford, Frances Power
G0bbe, Mary Cemmer, Frances E. Willard and
Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Surely if an array
of eminent names is sufficient to secure for cause
hearing, your case merits an important judg
ment on our part.
You are to be congratulated upon coming at a
MSS0mn g, wet0y for fourteen
against strong opposition, of every sue
eessiye Governor, Of justices of the. Supreme
the State; You come at a time, too, when very
restricted form OF woman suffrage has been tested
in England since 1869 and found to work so well
that this restricted, suffrage was extended to
Scotland in 1870, aud when after IA years eX-
perience full suffrage for women received the I'M
expected vote of ia to 1874 in the House of
Lords the most conservative legislative body in
the English speaking world. The cause has over
come the ridicule with which every reform is
ton upon the part of the intelligent and especially
of the progressive thinkers who shape public
ence and to change established cnstom. l doubt
not this convention will contribute to that result.
Would that your discussions might be conducted
with charity and with such Chrstlike earnestness
that Maine might be made true to her ancient
motto and lead the States in this irresistible re-
form.
Mrs. S. j. L. O'Brion, who presided in the
absence of Mrs. G. A. Quimby of Augusta,
through illness, introduced Rev. Lorenzo
Haynes of Rockport, Mass, who addressed
the convention. The speaker, in his adj
dress, aimed to show that the same reasons
that demanded the right of the ballot for
men called for the exercise of that right by
woman also; and that we must extend to her
this right or give up representative govern
ment.
Miss Cora Scott Pond of Boston spoke,
referring in her address to the successive
steps and sure progress of the struggle for
the extension of the right of suffrage.
Previous to the American Revolution, there
was struggle for the extension of the fran
chise and as a result of that long contest the
use of the ballot was given to multitude.
But when Jefferson wrote the Declaration of
Independence he was the owner of one or
two hundred slaves. The anti-slavery
struggle extended the franchise to the freed
men. Itremains to the coming party to extend
this sacred right to woman. But we are here
tonight without reference to party, to dis
cuss this subject, and to endeavor to arouse
the women of the State to the consideration
of the matter. In Massachusetts there are
thirty-four woman suffrage clubs; and the
struggle to extend the rights of woman in
regard to property, education and the ballot
is surely progressing If so much has been
gained, the women of this country ought to
stand by and help those who have been
working so faithfully in this struggle to
secure for woman the right to vote.
Rev. Mr. Bashford at this stage of the pro-
ceedings read the following letter from
Governor Robe:
STATE OF MAINE, EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
Augusta, Sept. TO- 1885.
Mrs. S. j. L. O'Brton:
Madam:--My engagements are such on the day
of your meeting, that it will be impossible for me
to be present I am in full accord with the OBJ
ects Of your association, and trust that the time
will speedily come when there will be more gen
eral interest on the subject of Woman Suffrage.
can be accomplished by female endeavor, for that
kind of work for right principles never fails.
l am very respectfully yours,
FREDERICK Robe
Mrs. S. j. L. O'Brion.
Rev. Mr.. Adams of the Congress street
Methodist church, then addressed the con-
vention. He suggested that there was moth
ing in the Bible that forbids the extension
of the franchise to woman. In our High
schools and other institutions of learning
where women are admitted, the female grad
yates are equal or superior to the males in
talent, scholarship and practical ability; and
when woman shall come into the possession
and exercise of this her just right the dawn
of the millennium will have appeared.
Mrs. Quimby of Augusta, who was expect
ed to preside, was in the city, though too ill
L. % f6o