Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-21
WOMAN SUFFRAGE.
Proceedings Of the National Convention.
(Contimsed from Second Page.)

CONTINUED from Second Pdge)
REV. OLYMPIA BROWN on FOREIGN RULE"
Mrs. Stanton's letter was listened to with
close attention by the audience, and upon con-
ciusion OF the reading Rev. Olympia Brown, Of
Wisconsin, was introduced woman Of slight
hgure and dressed plainly in black silk came
forward She had the manner of practiced
public speaker, and in a voice that was distinct
and clear she spoke on the subject of Foreign
huie. She asked IL, after all, the American
people had not been too generous and had
nearly turned themselves out of doors. II, after
throwing of the government of the aristocracy
OF Europe, it would be striking commentary
upon affairs If this country should come to be
governed by the representatives Of the slums Of
European capitals. While not opposed to
foreign immigration she thought il mistake
to confer upon foreigners advantages which are
not given to the native born
FOREIGNERS WERE ALLOWED TO VOTE TOO SOON
after reaching this country, and they were
allowed more votes. More men than women
came to our shores. In an emigrant train that
arrived in Milwaukee recently there were 200
men and some II women. and about the same
number of childred. On the other hand.
among the native born population. the women
preponderate. In Wisconsin the foreign vote
Is larger than the native vote. although the
native population numbers 9l2.072 persons and
the foreign population 405, 425. As a result the
governing power in cities and in the states was
largely foreign. The Catholic church claimed
the largest number Of adherents, and while
she had no objection to that form of religion
yet 1t was known that, as was recently the case
IN Boston, there Is a contest going on In de-
Tense of
THE PUBLIc-sCHooL SYSTEM.
Already in one town in Wisconsin the public
schools had been done away, and the same was
threatened in another town. She predicted
that in the near future there would have to be
contest waged in defense of the public-school
system. She quoted from President-elect Har-
rison as to the necessity of maintaining
FREE AND FAIR BALLOT.
and referred to the stories of the slavery Of
women in upper Wisconsin, and concluded that
while woman was disenfranchised these evils
and others would continue. With ballots in
the hands OF women every place of shame
done not so much that women are
better than men, but because they
are better able to protect themselves than that
others can do it for them. The fear of losing
the foreign vote, the speaker said, was the main
reason that woman suffrage was not advocated
by the great political parties. She thought
that there is no class of women more disgusting
to her than those who said that they only
wanted to vote on the question of temperance.
This same claim had been made for the school
question. but the trouble was, the speaker said
all those matters were so mingled that it was
Impossible to confer only fragment of suf-
frage. The women should want suffrage be-
cause 1t is right, and not because they are
In favor of hobby like temperance, the social
question, or the schools. A great many women,
she said, thought they had not time to go into
this movement because of their church work
They did not reflect that the church to-day
was mainly composed of women-of disenfran-
chised people. But
IF WOMEN WERE VOTERS
that would no longer be the case, as the men
would want to come to church to hear what
the ministers we're saying to the women voters
There would be more equal division of church
work, and much Of it now made necessary by
lack of money would be done away with. So
she concluded, il women wished to advance the
interests of the churches, they should unite in
the suffrage movement In conclusion she
predicted that there would be no American
republic in twenty-five years unless women
were enfranchised. The influences hostile to
good government and society must be met by
the votes of women. She expressed the opinion
that the republican party would be the instru-
ment in Gods hands to set free the women of
the land. 1t is in line with their declarations
that all should be free. She did not believe
that Gen. Harrison would say that his meaning
of the words free ballot" was confined to a
few negroes in the south.
CHAIRMEN OF COMMITTEES.
Miss Anthony then announced the chairmen
of the committees, as follows: Resolutions,
Abigail Scott Duniway; new constitution,
Mrs. Sewall chairman, Mrs. Blake, Mrs. Shat
tuck and Mrs. Johns; nominations, Miss An
thony; credentials. Mrs. Shattuck.
The convention then adjourned.
AT THE SESSION THIS EVENING
addresses will be made by Mary Seymour How
ell, of New York, Laura NJ. Johns. of Kansas
and Rev. Annie II. Shaw, of Illinois. morn
ing and evening session will be held on Tues
day and Wednesday.
THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
met this afternoon at the Riggs House. The
important question to be considered was the
proposed union with the American suffrage
association. Mrs. Alice Stone Blackwell and
other ladies representing that association are
in the city and they will meet committee rep
resefting the National association. Miss An
thony said this afternoon that the ladies were
anxious that union should be effected. and
she had no doubt that this would be the out
come of the conference.
WOMAN SUFFRAGE SYMPOSIUM.
of social nature. was held in the Riggs House
parlors last evening by the visiting delegates.
The topic of consideration was: How became
a suffragist." and was in the mature of an ex-
perience meeting. Three or four Of the ladies
had converted their husbands, and in every in
stance but one the husband is in full sympathy