Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1889-06-17
Woman's Suffrage Convention.

n0lO COuN III 1Illo
place on Thursday last. The attend
ance from abroad was not large, but
there were representatives from sew
eral towns from distance and dele
gates from Glover, Derby, Coventry
and elsewhere in the county. The
meeting was held at the NJ. E.church.
Mrs. A. B. Shaw had been invited
to provide music for the occasion and
there was no lack on that part. The
morning exercises were opened bya
devotional meeting led by Rev. Mark
Atwood of No. Danville. After some
preliminary work, Mrs. Allbee of
Barton Landing read an original
poem which discussed the subject of
woman suffrage wisely, and she re-
ceiyed a vote of thanks for her paper.
Mrs. ]. f.. Dwinell of Glover, fra
ternal delegate from the W. c. [.
Union, was called on and spoke of
the interest the Union had in any So
ciety which had for it's object the
good of the community, especially in
the line of temperance. Mrs. Dwi-
nell had very kind words for the So
ciety assembled in convention, and
her remarks were very we'll received.
Mrs. G.. E.Bickford of Barton well
coined the Association to the village
of Barton and the homes of our citi-
zens. She spoke of the beauties of
the Green Mountain State, her morals
and the interest that her women and
citizens have in all reforms. A few
words in relation to female suffrage
were given.
Miss Laura Moore, the very eff
cient secretary of the Association,
responded to Mrs. .Bickford's S address.
She spoke of the pleasure she had in
visiting Barton, of the results OF the
efforts of the friends of the cause in
whatever they had undertaken in the
work here, of some of the members
of the Association, and the friendly
attitude of the representatives OF the
town and county in the Legislature.
She spoke of the progress already
made in the state in the minds of the
people in regard to the claims of wo-
men and their rights. She felt that
even now, with their very limited
right of suffrage, the women of the
state were subjects, not rulers by right
of franchise. She claimed that it is
the right of the sex to have the priv
ilege of the ballot. She said that
under the the present Interpretation
of the constitutions and laws, women
are classed with children, imbeciles,
idiots, criminals and one man-Jeff
Davis of rebellion fame. Great evils
exist, she said, which women might
help to overcome, had she the voting
and law-making power. Reference
was made to the evil of intemperance
and the burdens the evil brought on
women. She thought that those who
suffered most ought to have the right
to vote, as we'll as to suffer under the
curse. She briefly alluded to some
of the fallacious arguments used
against female suffrage. Miss Moore
is thoroughly posted in all matters
having to do with temperance and
women suffrage, and discusses her
topics with tact and wisdom. Miss
Alice Stone Blackwell of Boston
spoke briefly. She was pleased to
meet so many Vermont friends, under
such pleasant auspices. She thought
that women ought to be permitted to
help overcome the evils eXtant in the
land. She spoke briefly of the work
of women in Wyoming and Washing
ton territories, where they have the
ballot right of their success as jurors
and officers in various spheres. She
felt that the suffrage idea only need
ed to be pushed to succeed. Educa-
ton and agitation would make it tri
umphant ere long.
A spirited essay on the subject of
ssCourage, was sent in by Mrs. Clark
of Peacham. v.L.Dodd of Richford
failed to appear, and his address,
from which good sense and good hu-
NOR were expected, was lost. Mr..
Mathews of So. Albany volunteered
to speak, and made an address that
lacked nothing for zeal in the cause.
He felt the cause to be right and that
it would succeed. Mr.. Mathews
pointed to the fact that wherever
Christ had reigned most in the hearts
of men, there woman was most hon
ored.
The question box hour proved in
teresting, and a large number of
questions were presented. Miss
Moore handled the questions with
much tact and gave instructive and
skillful answers. Miss Blackwell and
some others were called upon to an
swer some of the questions.
Rev. Mr.. Atwood addressed the
meeting. His remarks were practical
and we'll received. He referred to
the slow growth OF all moral reforms,
but of their ultimate success. Wo-
man suffrage is not understood and
the people need education on the sub
ject He felt that woman's influence
in governmental affairs would be as
powerful for good as it is in the home
or in the church. Some women are
bad and would vote wrong, but the
impulses of womeD's hearts are right
and the great majority of them woulC
vote right. Mr.. A. had often haC