Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-03-27
Notes.

The international Council of Women was
formally opened today in Alburgh's grand
opera house. 1t was assembled by the Ma
toual Woman Suffrage Association of the
United States, to celebrate the fortieth ami
ycrsary of the first womans rights conyen-
ton. The opera house was half filled, the
audience being composed almost wholly of
women, whcu, at half past ten, Susan b.
anthony, the vice president, called the meet
ing to order. Upon the stage were seated
hundred or more delegates from thirty or
more National Womens Rights Associations,
or kindred societies i'll tins and other coun-
tries. The council is probably the largest
gathering of notable women in the history of
the country. Upon the stage were Elizabeth
Cady Stanton, Susan b. ANTHONY, Lucy
Stone, Julia Ward Howe an,t many others,
pioneers in the cause of woman suffrage.
The hymn, The Promised Land" was read
ny the author. Mrs. Herbert, and sung by
the church choir. \ prayer was offered by
Rev. Antoinctte Brown Blackwell. Eliza
beth Cady Stanton delivered the address of
welcome She reviewed at length the his
tory of the suffrage movement and said
The world is my country, all mankind my
countrymcn. This is a motto that cannot he
echoed and re-echoed round the globe too
often to keep our sympathles alive to the
veal and woe of the human race. In wei
coming representatives from other lands here
today. we don't feel that You are strangers or
Foreigners, for women of all nationaties in
artificial distinctions of sex, have a uniyer
sal sense of I'M ustice that forms a common
bond of union between them. 1t
is with great satisfaction that We
also welcome here today the
representatives of our own country-women
from thirty different associations of moral
and philanthropic reforms. | think most of
us have come to feel that a voice in law is
indispensable to achieve success; that these
great moral struggles for higher education,
temperance. peace rights of labor, religious
freedom, and international arbitration are all
questions TO be finally adjusted by action of
the government, and without direct voice
in legislation woman's influence will be even
tuallv lost. The question is continually ask
ed if women had the right of suffrage how
would they vote on national questions: |
think we might venture to say that the wo-
men on this platform are opposed to war. As
to the much vexed question of the fisheries
we would say, in view of our vast Atlantic
and Pacific coasts, thousands of miles in ex-
tent do let Canada have three miles of ocean
if she needs it, If cod is the bone of con-
tention, as it is the poorest of all fish, let
Canadians eat it in peace, long as We have
OYSTERS shad, bass and delicate salmon from
western lakes and California. As to a treaty
with Russia 10 send back political prisoners to
he tortured III her prisons and mines of ST.
IBERIA, we would say no. America must
always be great University in which lovers
of freedom may safely graduate with highest
honors and under our flag find peace and
prote tectlon. As TO an international copyright
We should no doubt say, let us have law to
that effect by all means, because it is fair
and honest. Moreover, since We now have
our historians, philosophers. scientists, poets
/ and noyelists. and England steals as much
+ from Us as we do from her, it is evident that
sound policy aud common honesty lie in the
same direction As to the overtiowing of the
! Treasury tina; troubles our good president,
our wsest. women would undoubtedly
say. pay the national debt and tighten the
/ taxes on the shoulders of the laboring mass
es As to the amendments of the coustitu-
ton now asked for by body of clergy and
some reformers, TO recognize christian the
ologv in the constitution and introduce relig-
ious tests into political party platforms, in
direct violation of article 8, clause 3, of the
national constitution, think the majority il
our woman suffrage associations would be
opposed TO all such amendments as would de
stroy the secular nature of our government
so carefully guarded by our fathers in layin:
the founpation of the republic. Thi
freedom from all ecclesiastical entan
clement is one of the chic
glories of our government, one of the chic
elements of its success. We cannot to,
zealously guard against all attempts at retro
gressive policy in this direction. If there i
| one lesson more plainly written then another
on the old world, il is the danger of the un
ion of church and state of civil and cano