Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-04-09
A Washington Letter.
To the Editor of the Republic:

/
A Washington Letter.
To the Editor of the Republic:
WASHINGTON, April Z, 1888.
The international council of women as
sembled by the National Woman Suffrage
Association to commemorate the fortieth
anniversary of the first Woman's Rights
convention was. without question, the most
notable gathering Of women ever held In
the world.
They came from the valleys and plains
of the west, the golden shores of the Pa
cifc, from the cotton plantations and rice
fields of tie south, from classic New Eng
land, as well as from the provinces of
Canada. They fiocked hither from all parts
of merry England from the Emerald
Isle and the highlands of Scotlsnds; coming
from the castles of Germany, the vineyards
of France and the olive gardens of Italy.
Heroic women travelled all the way from
the ice-bound coasts of Sweden and Nor
way, while even far-off Finland was
represented by two highly cultured women
from that land of reindeers, lichans and
hanging moss. There was also present
single delegate from the East Indies.
These good women came as representatives
of the various associations of women for
equal rights, suffrage, temperance. Chris
tianity, benevolence, purity. intellectual.
culture, and moral improvement. relief,
missions, etc. Amongst them were lawyers,
doctors. ministers, editors, authors, poets.
lecturers. artists, college professors, phi
lanthropists, photographers. farmers, etc,
who are famous the world over. These
women managed their convention them
selves, made their own speeches. had their
own orchestra and choir, and reported
their proceedings through a corps of
women shorthand writers. They printed
daily paper, The Womdn's Tribune, con-
tanning all their speeches and proceedings.
issued five thousand copies per day and
sold them at five cents per copy, and every
body wanted to get them, so they went off
''like hot cakes.n
The sessions were held In Albaugh's
Grand opera house. and 1t was crowded
Duth at day and night meetings to such an
-xtent that hundreds could not find even
standing room.
This is the finest auditorium here, and
most of the seats were reserved at fifty
cents each.
The council continued eight days and
was one of the most successful cOnven-
tlons ever held. 1t was a rare intellectual
treat that will furnish material for thought
and action for years to come.
The countless thousands of good women
left at home would have so much enjoyed
these meetings of the representative women
of this and other lands, who have been do
ing so much to enlighten the world and ad-
vance the interests and champion the rights
of their sex, as well as better the condition
of man.
Many of the foreign delegates have de-
parted hence to visit different portions of
our country before crossing the ocean,
while very few of the American delegates
have remained over.
The speeches delivered and the papers
read by these gifted women were of the
highest order of intellect. and were not
only equal TO the best efforts of
men, but in every way much su-
periIr, aud 50 much more enjoyable.
o. the notable speeches by the foreign re-
p,s t,tives, Mrs. Alice Scttcherd. of
Ens land. displayed her nne classical and
and legal attaiumt nts, as well as her fne
powers OF oraIory, in the discussion on the
legal Conditions of Women in the Three
Kingdom
Mrs. Ashton Dixie, of England, spoke
Oh Tue IOlitlcdt ttUuitiUuS VI NOlDtn.
and held her vast audience spell bound
with her silyery notes and her powerful
aisameats. She is not only fine speaker
but an excellent politician, and through her
management, chiefly, her husband was
elected TO the British parliament.
Madame Isabelle BOgeIot. director prison
reform work of St. Lazarre, Paris, spoke
of her benevolent work in her own way,
aud in a manner which greatly interested
har hearers. Her eCCent is thoroughly
French, and as she speaks more deliber-
ateIy than French people generally do it
was easy enough to catch her words and
get her meaning without difficulty.
Baroness A teXandra Gupenberg. of Fin
land, Surprised everybody by her address
on The Work of FInnish Women." Here
is liltle woman from country so far
nos III that in summer the sun seems to set
one moment and rise the next, while in
winter its rising is almost imme-
diately followed by its setting: in a
county where the mode of travelling is by
sledges drawn by reipdeers until within a
recent date; as one of the Finnish women
informed us. they now have a railway and
the farthest north of any on the globe.
They regard this corntry as the smallest
and poorest in the world. and our country
as the largest and richest.
This little woman, as well as her COM
panion delegate, is not only finely ed Gated
but is fine public speaker, and US, 8 the
English language remarkably well.
Fanny Zampini SalazarH, editor of the
Womaa's Rerieic, published in Rome. read
valuable paper on "The Women of
Italy," and coming, as 1t did, from genu-
inc Roman woman, who treated her subject
so intelligently, 1t was received with much
applause.
Mrs. Ada C. Fredrickson, of Denmark,
read report of the doings of the '.Dan-
ish Women's Society for Protection of
Young Girls" (which is quite like "The
Young WOmen's Christian Home" recently
established here in Washington,l showing
how vigilantly their interests are looked |
after by benevolent people there and how
carefully they are protected.
Mrs. Puiditl Ramabia Sarasvate, of |
British India, entertained the audience |
with an address on THE Women of India, I" |
showing the advancements that are being |
made in the way Of their enlightenment In i
the far east.
Th, addresses of Mrs. Ormiston Grant,
of England, Mrs. s. Magelsson Groth, Of