The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1888-03-02
NARY A. LIvEREORE FRANCES WILLIAM
ii

I'D.
JULIA WARD HOWE.
CLARA BARTON. SUSAN B. ANTHONY.
erty," writes that she is too busy in England
to come, but will ''lend hand" Fanny
Zampini Salazaro whether Miss or Madame
her letter does not hint, editor of 'sThe Re
view OF Women's Interests" in Rome, will
send paper to be read, and so will learned
literary ladies of Germany and elsewhere
Indeed, as literary treat purely, the coun-
Gil will be we'll worth attending.
This council will be sort Of forty wear
jubilee for the first regular organization Of
woman suffrage, which was perfected at a
convention held at Seneca Falls N. Y. in
1S4S. At the start it was closely identified
with the movement for the abolition Of
slavery, and the master spirits then were
Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Amelia Bloomer,
Mrs. Stebbins and Frederick Douglass; but
since the colored man has become a voter
Mr.. Douglass is very skeptical, if not an op-
ponent, of making the colored women voters.
At any rate he is willing to wait until there
is much moro general information among
them. This combination Of radicals Of all
sorts gave the movement bad start; the
great army of the queer and crazy rushed
into it, and for near twenty years the woman
suffragists were heard only to be laughed at.
But as the agitators were able to point out
evident wrongs in the laws of many states,
these were generally reformed and the prop
erty rights of women well secured In the
state of Indiana Hon. Robert Dale Owen, O
pronounced woman suffragist, introduced
into the legislature and secured the passage
OF tho celebrated statute on descent and dis
tribution of property, which, with other
laws secured by him, put Indiana at the head
of all the states in laws favorable to women.
Several other states have since adopted SINH
lar measures. Other early advocates of
'woman's rights" were Lucretia Mott,
Paulina Wright Davis, Ernestine L. Rose,
Frances D. Gage and Sarah Tyndale. In
1851 Susan B. Anthony presided over q con-
vention at Syracuse, N. Y, and in 1868 she
organized the Loyal Woman's League"
The close of the war and the enfranchise-
ment of the negroes seemed to leave the pop
ular mind in a receptive condition never
known before or since. All sorts Of reforms
were urged with wonderful ability and zeal;
people seemed afraid to oppose anything lest
they might find themselves in the position of
those who had opposed emancipation, and
for few years woman suffrage made Won
derful progress. The National Woman Suf-
frage association was thoroughly organized,
every state. Among the most active in it
are Mary A, Livermore, Julia Ward Howe,
Laura Curtis Bullard, Lille Devereaux
Blake, Ellen C.. Sargent and Jane Graham
Jones As might have been expected, the
first substantial victories were gained in the
far west, where pioneers were laying the
foundation of our communities on more lib
eral principles
tn nal EQ
Jurors was introduced into the legislature of
Wyoming territory, ''just for joke" as the
protector says; but it was gravely argued
that the measure would ''advertise the
country and attract immigration" SO it was
adopted and became law Dec. 10, 1869 Two
ladies were chosen justices of the peace and
three or four juries empaneled with women
as Jurors; but the practical Inconvenience
was found to be so great that the experiment
was quietly discontinued. A few years later
the legislature repealed the law, but the gov
ernor vetoed the repeal, and there lacked
few votes of the needed two-thirds to passit
over his veto. As the adult white women of
wyoming number but a few hundreds, and
are outnumbered three or four to ono by the
men. not much can be dcduced from the ex-
pertinent.
Early in 1869 Hon. James Ashley proposed
in the congress of the United States to mako
the women of Utah voters, SO that they
might abolish polygamy. The Mormons
promptly took up the matter, and at the next
session of the territorial legislature ls'V)
conferred the suffrage on all adult women
and all married to adults, regardless OF age,
,,artlv to turn the tables on the statesman,
hnt more to double their vote against the
Gentiles, who were getting r.lnerous IN GER
tain counties As the Gentiles were largely
miners. with very few wonle1 the policy
woc ! succcss. A foreign born woman mar
r;atl to a native or naturalizel citizen y heid
- he nnturalized; SO the unique spectacle ID
ofton presented of q Danish, Swedish or Eng
lish girl Of Is or IL years voting within rev
months after reaching the territory. INC
Mormon women invariably vote the t'cke'
nre,arcd for them by the church; SO we can
not fairly draw any conclusion: from the eS'
,,o,;menf in Utah Latterly q modified SUI.
frooe has been conferred upon the women OF
washington territory, but the legal construc-
80, of the law is still in dispute
Tn Iowa the amendment for female SUI
fraoe was adopted by the house in 1870, ana
WAS defeated by very small majority IN the
sanata. hut in that state, as In several othe1s'
...a,,,o,, can hold various school offices. N
T.nsas they can vote at school meetings ana
A-oonia of that state has woman mayor.
r. other states and territories they nave
some political powers, too numerous 60
varied to detail. 80