Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-23

gers to the body polite. The solution of the
problem of the present age, she said, could be
found in cooperation and human brotherhood,
and women were fitted to bring this happier
condition Of affairs about In her opinion the
one-legged method of running the world must
come to an end, and woman must take her
proper place in the history OF the worlds prog
ress.
THE DAUGHTER OF cAssIUs n. CLAY,
OF Kentucky, Miss Mary B. Clay, was the next
speaker. Her theme was the political and
social slavery Of American women, and she
said that. except in states where the laws had
been amended the old English law relative to
women, and especially married women. was
the law to-day. She pointed out the harshness
and injustice of many of these laws, and said
that this legal status of women under these laws
was no better than that of the negro when
slavery existed. She thought that this condi-
ton was no better than slavery. An equality
of right in the married relation would do
much. in the opinion of the speaker, to make
permanent that relation. If women had the
ballot. she thought that the wrongs complained
OF would be remedied. 1t would give women
their liberty
Mrs. Clay claimed that women would bring
into politics an eevating influence, and quoted
from the statistics of Massachusetts, that much
larger proportion of boys than girls were in the
reformatories of that state. There were more
men than women in the prisons and many times
more men than women in the LIQUOR business.
which, she said, was the nurse of pauperism and
CRIME. She denounced the system which ciassed
women with paupers, idiots, and insane, and
claimed that woman was the equal OF man and
capable of sharing with him in all the affairs of
the world.
WOMAN SUFFRAGE IN WISCONSIN.
Judge Casey. of Wyoming. whose name ap-
peared on the program Miss Anthony said,
was prevented from being present owing to an
important engagement. She regretted his abb
sence but said that Rev. Olympia Brown, OF
Wisconsin, who lived In a state where women
could vote on school questions, would fill the
vacancy. Mrs. Brown gave an account of the
method in Wisconsin of managing the public
schools. BY law women can vote in all elec-
tlons relating to school matters. When it came
to define what was meant by school matters
the speaker said that the views Of the men
seemed to be hazy. Many men, however, ex-
pressed the opinion that it would be
TRICK ON THE PART OF THE WOMEN
to attempt to vote at the general state election.
when the state school superintendent was to be
elected, and at the county elections when the
county superintendent of schools was to be
elected. The women, however, thought that
the law meant what it said and that they had
the right to vote. So at the next state election
thousands of women throughout the state
voted, and in many cases their votes were taken
women would attempt to vote for President of
the United States at the next election. and so
the speaker stated test cases were brought to
obtain an Interpretation of the law. Several
Judicial decisions were obtained which ruled
that the right of women to vote was confined
to county elections and to school questions
alone. The women thought that under these
rulings the right of women to vote at all would
soon be taken away entirely, and SO they
brought
TEST CASE
themselves. The result of this latter move was
that it was ruled that the law perfectly
legal. but that there was no election to which
it applied, and so the speaker said the women
of Wisconsin had the right to vote if they could
only have an election. The speaker attributed
this decision to the fear of the republican
supreme court that if the women were allowed
to vote they would vote with the prohibition
party, and SO it was deemed wise to postpone
their voting until after the presidential cleo
ton. She thought that at an early day the
supreme court would modify their decision
as to give women the right to vote at all cleo
tions pertaining to school matters. Perhaps
this would be delayed until after the transla-
ton of some of the present judges; but she
thought the time was not for distant.
woMAN's RIGHTS IN THE TERRITORIES.
81 also represent state where women vote
on school questions observed the next
speaker, Mrs. Abigail Scott Duniway, of Ore
gon. She then went on to speak of what was
done for the women in Washington territory,
and the efforts made to have a clause giving
women the privilege Of voting inserted in the
omnibus bill pending before Congress. She
said that this clause was returned by the Sem
ate, but was dropped out in the House. She
expressed the belief that ultimately the women
of the territory of Washington would be recog-
nized. A similar clause. the speaker said. had
been added to the bill admitting the territory
of Idaho.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS FAvoRs THE CAUSE.
Mr.. Frederick Douglass who was in the audi
ence was called upon to say few words, and
after a committee of the ladies had gone from
the platform to where he was seated his reluct-
ance was overcome and he made his appear
ance before the audience. Mr.. Douglass said
that he had come to listen, not to speak. He
said that he was convinced of the justness wis
dom and expediency of comforting upon wo-
men the right of suffrage. He spoke of his
early connection with this movement, and said
he remembered with gratitude that women
were largely instrumental in bringing about
the freedom of his own race. Before the ne
gro had the ballot he thought the coiored peo-
pie needed the ballot more than the women.
Now he thinks the time of woman has come.
He thought that if this movement was ever
wrecked it would be due to
THE INTRODUCTION OF PARTY POLITICS.
Suffrage should be the all-important and
commanding object of these meetings. While
he was a dyed-in-the-wool republican, he did
not want to hear of the republican party in this
convention. He thought that Mrs. Cougar
had said too much about the prohibition party
in her speech yesterday. He was a prohibi-
zionist. but he did not want to hear about it in
this convention.
After Miss Anthony made the usual announce
ments the convention adjourned.
THE CLOSING SESSION.
This afternoon a special meeting will be held
in the church, and at that time reports will be
made by the vice-presidents from the various
states showing the progress of the work
throughout the country.
The final session of the convention will be
held this evening. Clara b. Colby, of Ne
braska; Helen NJ. Cougar, of Indiana; Rev.
Olympia Brown aid Mrs. Isabella Beecher
Hooker and others will make addresses.
James Startling Statement.
he SAYS THE BRITISH HAVE SENT ONE MILLION
DOLLARS BRIBE-MoNEY TO WASHINGTON.
dispatch from Pittsburg, January %, to
the New York Sun says: Edward James, of the
Hope iron and tin plate company. at Upton,
England, who is now here, says that thou