Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-04-09
WASHINGTON LETTER.
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE or rHE MONITOR. ]
Wlshinnron. Aptil 2d.

NouSIeSS WIS uot coiupleleiN tx
tinguished last week, but it must be-
confessed it was considerably over
Swallowed by another attraction
the Woman's International Coun
Gil. And the convention was
quite a financial success, to say the
least, its surplus being limited only
by the size of the Opera House ia
which the gat ering was held. Fol
four days the storm clouds wrestled
with the Council, and for -four
nights the rain battered down and
the women spattered forth and back
They were burning with the fires OF
too lofty enthusiasm to bother about
the weather.
1t was not until the fifth day OF
the convention that the sun shonc
and the delegates from foreign coun
tries got their first glimpse of the
American Capital with its stately
public buildings of marble and its
broad smooth avenues stretching into
distance.
The wide scope of the topics dis
cussed at the conference gave unusu-
al interest to the proceedings.
might say every subject that pertain
ed to woman considered. Attention
was given to the notable advances in
all lines of development, involving a
review of what has been accomplish
ed, which gave congratulatory tone
to the gathering, and drew certain
representative women here who would
not have been attracted had the cru
SADIE had only a political end in view.
The necessity of better organiza-
ton in the work for women's advance
ment was the main idea of the con-
vention. and the organizations perfect
ed as the result of the effort promise
to be of historical interest and impor-
lance.
The president and Mrs. Cleveland
accorded the woman's Council a spec
ial handshaking on Friday, and Susan
b Anthony, who presented the pi-
oneers of the Woman's Suffrage
movement heading the line. rested
her hand on the presidents shoulder
during this performance and was so
unique in her style altogether that
she kept the president and Mrs.
Cleveland laughing. There were col
ored people in line who were affably
presented and received, meek looking
quakeresses in grey and brown, an
Indian woman gorgeous in gown with
beaded embroidery, Norwegian, Swed-
ish, Danish, Scotch and English la
dies, many of whom were elegantly
dressed, while a few Americans were
in the widest evolution of the dress
reform. The president emerged,
looking as if lie had been through l.
thrilling experience.
Yesterday, a number of delegates
to the Council occupied various pull
pits of the city churches.
AS usual in Washington on Easter
Sunday, the churches celebrated the
resurrection. The Catholic and Epis-
copal churches were profus ly decor
ated with flowers, elaborate musical
programmes were rendered, and ia
nous masses were sung with great
pomp, while thousands of fair peni-
tents emerged from the sackcloth and
ashes of the Lenten season radiantly
happy in new gowns and Paris pat
tern bonnets.
On Friday the House of represent
atives spent the afternoon in discuss
ing the two bills to pension the wild
ows of Gems. Logan and Blair at the
rate of 81 900 a year. The debate
was interesting because one bill rep
resented a republican and the other a
democratic leader. Both General
Logan and General Blair had been
nominated by their respective polit-
cal friends for the Vice-Presidency OF
the United States, the democrat in
1868 and republican in 1884. The
treatment of the two bills and the
feelings they aroused in the House
were by no means free from politics.
The widows were regarded as hav-
ing inherited all the political capital
and opposition of their husbands, and
when the pension bills were under
consideration, the atmosphere was as
much charged with political feeling
as if the dead men had revisited the
earth again and mounted the stump
as rival candidates in a heated politi-
cal campaign.
After a long discussion both bills
were passed by practically one vote,
the Logan bill by l54 against 80, and
the Blair bill by l48 against 81. All
the republicans and about one-fourth
of the democrats voted for both bills,
and about three-fourths of the demo-
Gratis opposed them both. The Logan
bill was in the last congress and was
then the subject of lively political dis
cussion. The committee on that oc-
casion divided on party lines, and the
bill was adversely reported which kill
ed it for that congress. This time it
occupied a very different position. 1t
was introduced by a democrat, MIR.
McShane, and was favorably report
ed by a majority of the com
e ,a;na