Woman's chronicle. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1888-1???, 1889-02-16
Arkansas Represented At the Massachu-
sets Annual Suffrage Association.

one of the reserve delegates to the Methodist
General Conference from which women were ex-
Guided, is now studying at the Boston University
Medical School. We give larger extracts from her
address and that of Mrs. Dietrich than from the
other speeches, because we SO seldom have an OPP
portunitv to hear from Arkansas or Kentucky.
Miss Brooks said:
81 represent State which is in it's infancy on
the suffrage question We gaze in wonder at the
rapid strides the suffrage principle is making in
some sections, and are almost ready to weep for
our own backwardness. Our noble friend, Mrs.
Stone, thought that an account of the work in our
State might interest you for few moments.
''Fifteen years ago, Mrs. Livermore visited our
capital city and gave us her idea of true woman
hood. How we Toasted on her words, and resolved
that we would do and dare all things for the right
This winter Mrs. Wallace has spent few weeks in
our State, and friends write me that the people
came gladly to the feast of rich things she spread
before them. But do you wonder that we are not
strong when tell you that we have had no meals
between times?
zone year ago few women in Little Rock re-
solved to organize suffrage association, One
woman had the ambition to stand, in the eye of
the law, the peer of an illiterate drunken negro.
Another who had managed a large real estate bust
ness for years during her husbands protracted ILL
ness, believed that she was capable of weighing
the respective merits of candidates for the position
of alderman Another, who had done mans
work for woman's pay, had grown discouraged
in trying to persuade the various tradesmen to de-
duct 20 per cent. from their bills, because she was
a woman. And so we organized. There were
thirteen of us. AS three Of the number were less
than twenty-one years of age, and five were not
residents of the city, it was not formidable party.
But one of the number was editor of city paper,
and she published an account OF the meeting. We
waited the shock, but none came Aside from q
great deal of gOod-natured raillery directed against
the officers little comment was made We have
met with more opposition from women than men.
Some gentlemen whose wives would not join us,
asked to join our society as honory members. We
have at present sixty-seven members of our local
society. Harsh comment, which is such potent
factor in development, in the persons of two city
pastors (will you pardon me if 1 say they are
neither of them Methodists?) is materially aug
menting our enrolment.
CAT the annual meeting of our W. G. L. u, in
May though the yellow ribbons were worn for the
first time, and great CONSERVATION was created
unerepy, many Vi Ihe local unions penS Wolehtly
opposed to the principle which the ribbons repre-
sented, the suffrage clause was passed. Cotton
Plant and Conway have small auxiliary societies;
Hot Springs and Eureka Springs promise organi-
cations soon. Mrs. Hart, grand woman, a men,
Der of the executive committee of the Equal
Suffrage Association, and State organizer of the
w. G. T. T., is carrying the war into all parts of the
State. We hope much from the result of her labors
''We shall petition our Legislature this winter to
pass laws admitting women into the medical de-
partment of the State University, making women
eligible to hold office in the educational department
of the State government, and raising the age of
consent
ave are few in numbers, weak in influence, poor
in purse, but valiant in spirit, and we have a
staunch friend in our president, Mrs. McDiarmid,
who expresses her faith in words like these: eff
the various societies of women cannot afford to