Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-02-26
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.


ance may be seen women whose
lives have been devoted to the cause.
There are many new workers, also,
aud some of them are young and
pretty. A few of them wear short
hair, but this is their only apparent
affectatiOn of strOng-mindedness,
and most of them are suitably and
taStefnlly attired q Ia mote. Susan
b. Anthony is still the leading
spirit. She opened the convention
with a brief description of the
origin Of the movement, stating
that 1t had penetrated every civil
lied country on the globe, and that
this question of wOman's rights
was talked of and practiced in some
shape in every country in the
world.
She then discussed the difficulty
experienced by women in obtaining
recognition in the professions.
Every woman who had started in
the study of law, medicine, theolo.
gy, art or journalism, had met with
obstacles, but they had not given
up, and now there were female
members of the bar in almost every
State. In eleven States women are
allowed to vote for school superin-
tendents, aud in some States they
are elected to office. In Iowa, Kan
sas and New York bills are pending
to extend enfranchiSement to
women; the L. ). Senate had ia
vorably reported such a bill the
women we're to be heard before the
Judiciary House Committee on
Saturday, and, said Miss Anthony,
"the agitation is going on in every
possible direction
At last evenings session a loud
ripple of applause ran through the
audience as Miss Anthony led 70
the front of the platform a young
and rather stately lady whom she
introduced as Miss Ada Sweet, of
Chicago. You will remember her
as the plucky Pension Agent who
had some pointed correspondence
with the new Administration prior
to her removal from office.
Mrs. Colby, of Nebraska, made
an address on the relations of
woman suffrage to the labor queS-
ton. "Women," she said, "want
the ballot for temperance and social
purity She cited the Indian squaw
following the red brave, with her
heavy pack, as an illustration of
the relation of women to the worlds
work.
The Congressional debates of the
week have been lOng.drawn out
in the Senate on the Blair educa-
tonal bill, and in the House Oh the
restoration of Fitz John Porter.
The long expected new Morrison
tariff bill was presented in the
House; anti.Chinese measures were
introduced; steps We're taken to.
wards more thorough investiga-
ton of expenditures in the Pan
Electric trouble; the Attorney
General foreshadowed a severance
of his telephone relations with that
company, and the Republican Sen
ators in caucus took decisive action
regarding the Senate's rights to in
formation from the heads of execu
tive departments. They declared
that the Attorney. General, in re.
fusing to furnish the reasons asked
for in relation to suspended Off
Gals, is reprehensible, no matter
what his motives may have been.
They also declared that they would
reject nominations where they had
been made to fill vacancies created
by removals in cases where the
heads of departments refuse to fur
nish the information called for by
the Senate. And, lastly, they con.
demned the Administration for re-
moving ex-UniOn soldiers and ap.
pointing civilians In their places.
The educational bill proposes to
give S77OOO,OOO to the States for
schools, in proportion to their illit
eracy. 1t is to be disbursed by
State officers. The bulk of the /
money will, of course, 90 to the
Southern States. Senator Morgan, |
Of Alabama, made one Of the strong.
est states rights speeches against
the bill, although Alabama would |
get $4,000, 600 as her portion. lie
would not have done this, probably, |
had he not been sure the bill would
pass in spite of his opposition, as it |
did IN the Senate Of the last Con /
gress.
Senator Plumb, Of Kansas, who
is also opposed to the bill, said Mr.. |
bar was nasty and pctulcnt in his
opposition to having his pet meas.
ure amended. Mr.. Plumb did not
regard the bill in the same light as
the sacred bull Of Burmah-which
was not to be touched by irreyer-
emit hands. He denied that it had |
ever been approved by a Repubi-
can caucus; but even if it had, al
though a Republican caucus was a
very immaculate body, he held that |
the measure might be capable of
notwithstanding.
Representative Kelly, of Penn
sylVaDia. who is the oldest member