The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1886-03-04
WOMEN IN COUNCIL.
OF sTRoNG!MIND-
MISREPRESENTATION DESCRIBED.


"I Told You There Would BE Extra snap
in this Movement When Southern Wo-
men Joined IT, ..
WASHINGTON. Feb. 20,-I went to
the womon's rights convention on Thurs
day night and had much entertainment.
The ladies in the audience boisterously
enioyed the wholesale denunclatlon OF
monster man, while the men vigorously
and chivalrously applauded the many
hard hits at their sex. Miss Susan b:
Anthony, a small, grim, energetic old
maid. presided, and dearly. relished the
multiform compliments paid her by her
yocifsrous sisterhood. Miss Anthony
is sometimes called "Colonel Susan,"
but this is the designation OF some
masculine wretch. In the audience
Frederick Douglass stood up, like a
great bronze giant, with q forest OF
coase grey hair. In old days Douglass
used to preside at these meetings, but
seems to have fallen into disrcpute since
he turned his back on the negro and
married a white woman. ALL or the
speakers were quite old or mature. en-
cept the last. a German-Amerlcan lady,
who had q comely face, a splendid voice
and the true fire of eloquence. q q
Miss Anthony, in q prlm, starch way,
like a veteran campaiguer, told her OFT
repeated story of the wrongs Of persons
who happened to be born OF. tho; female
gender. The old lady punched and cult
ed her misguidad brethren and warned
them that her spirit would haunt them
until Justice was done. .,..E.- o.
A buxom Boston lady: rising 80 years,
sententiously pursued the same theme.
aud severely rated statesmen who tried
to make woman a nonentity. She said !:
ssWhen Sara Bernhardt came to this
country, people were curious to see her:
She was exceedingly thin and was joked
about her attenuation. One day, a man
was told to look ina carriage window if
he desired to behold the famous actress.
He did so4 but declared that. ne saw
nothing. Then you, saw Bernhardt,'
was the instant reply! The Boston
lady proclaimed chat denial of suffrage
made women nothing.
The fun commenced in earnest when
Mrs. Merriwether, who announced her
self as a Southern woman from the
crown of her head to the tips of her toes,
took the stand. She was considerably
advanced in middle age, but. full 0ffight.
She went from Memphis to St. Louis.
A novel of hers, t!!The Master of. Rose
leaf" was lurid attack upon the
Yankees and their reconstruction OF the
South, but the last chapter was so hor-
rible and:revolting that 1t sunk the book
out of sight, I understand. AS Mrs.
afcrrisethar. ,t,zossoflesqrr rolY.,b'at '.tloiA
husband was a Democrat, I presume
she has modified her opinions, but she
and her son created something Of dis
turbance by calling forth and proddng
out the traditional ''negro in the wood
pile" The idea Of black brute having
the franchise to the exclusion OF the
most exalted white woman reused the
Indignation and wrath Of Mrs. Mcr-
riwethcr aud her ''baby boY," azchipper
and cheeky lad of 10 or 20 years of age.
This lady made a rattling haranguc. fnll
of wit. sarcasm and bitterness. Argu-
mcnt was lacking somewhat, but illustra-
tration ahounded. She read letter
from Senator Vest, who uncompromIs-
inclv opposes the woman movement.
and then, bit by bit, and line by line, held
him UP to ridiculc as no man has ever
vet dared to do. She had not read the
minority report Of the Senate committee
on woman suffrage, signed by Senators
Brown and Cockrcll, but heard about it;
and vet she assailcd 1t all the same,
with little spice Of b!asphcmy, in the
beginning. and a concluding offer to
teach better Bible doctrine to the two
Senators, whom she invited to 60 to
Sunday school. She discussed the Utah
bills Of Senator Edmunds ana gave pa
tentrccipc for cxtcrminatin@ polygamY,
which is worth attention. Il would"
she exclaimed. ''allow the Mormon wO-
men to keep their suffrage and distran-
chise the men. Then l would send
strong minded members Of our associa-'
ton out there as missionaries to teach
Utah sisters to be strong minded, too.
Then a Mormon man would not want
more than one wife, as one strong mlnd-
ed woman would be all he could en-
durev' lam quite prepared to credit
this assertion aud 10 90 beyond it. In
deed, an irrcvcrent scamp says, that III
stead cr one such woman. he prefers
twelve wives Of The other kind. Mrs.
Mcrriwcthcr claimed sam Jones rs Il
Tcuncssccan, and quoted him 10 show
the superiority OF woman. lie had heard
lady make a prayer SO iervcnt that she
seemed 10 bring heaven down to earth.
Now" calculated Mrs. Mcrriwcthcr.
Il never knew any man, preacher or
otherwise. who ever Brought heaven and
earth within 10000 miles ofcach other"
Aud yet there arc some sanity mcn II
this world. and the licdocmcr OF it Was
not 4 woman.
':Coloucl" Susan reluctantly called
time upon this fiery Southern matron.
onI vnm.rir,r hCr head Significantly