The Washington critic., 1890-02-23
STRONG MINDED WOMEN
HAVE MADE THINGS LIVELY HERE
FOR A WEEK.
Gossip About tho sufTragIsts-Absence
of Young Women From the Con-
ventIons-PiOneers of the Move
ment-Mrs. spofiord,s KIndness,

ment-Mrs. spofford's Kindness.
The entire season having been given
up to the fashionable woman 1t Is no
more than fair that the newspaper and
the public should devote one week to
the strong minded woman. Lent is
here, and the society woman takes this
solemn period for the recuperation of
her physical body and the reluvenation
of her last springs wardrobe. The
society woman regards Lent as pecu-
liar institution for the protection of re-
ception givers and goers, and she reverts
to oher loose Mother Hubbard and reason
able bedtime with species of what
might be called thankfulness rather than
penitence. Lent, to the severe Church
woman, is q season of extraordinary de-
votional activity. 1t is the period of
plain gowns and BUTTERFLIES bread, the
denial of the appetite, and continual
perusal of serious books.
The exactions of Lent, both upon
time and desire, are to most women in
the nature of q sacred duty, done, as it
were, under whip and spur. To few,
however, and these are the lambs of
whom the Shepherd spake so tenderly,
the Lenten season is one of honest de-
votion and willing sacrifice in memory
of the Masters temptation and suffer
ing.
The shrewd woman, however, the
politically organized and mentally en-
franchised woman, nicely calculates
b er convention, and brings IL within
this brief space of social inactivity.
In this the strong minded woman gives
proof of her sagacity.
;s x - e ~
A noticeable feature of the conven-
tion held during the week was the ab-
sence of young women. Seven-eights
of the representatives were women be-
yond middle life, while many of them,
the contemporaries of Elizabeth Oady
Stanton and Susan 3. Anthony, have
passed into old but vigorous and charm
ing age. This absence Of young women
probably argues nothing more than the
respect in which these pioneers are
held by their respective constituencies.
There Is a feeling among women
which does not obtain among politi-
cians-that those who have borne the
| heat of battle shall not be relegated to
The rear as soon as old age shows its
| silver head. The spirit which dictated
public appeal to veteran Southern
Senator the other day asking him to
retire, telling him brutally that his
days of usefulness were over, is not
that exhibited by women toward
their early leaders. Susan B. An
thony, Elizabeth Cady Stan
ton, Isabella Beecher Hooker and
Julia Ward Howe will hold their Off
| u 81 al. H..
thority so long as they desire to unite
or speak or act.
There are women in the strong
minded ranks who, perhaps, have made
more public stir and acquired more no.
toriety and fame in one way or another,
but the woman's cause itself has had
no better and more helpful friend than
Mrs. Jaue Spofford, the wife of the
Riggs House proprietor, Eight or ten
years ago it CHANGED that Mrs. Senator
Sergeant, who had always entertained
Miss Anthony, was taken sick just be-
fore the convention and it was arranged
that during this session she should re-
main at the Riggs. So delighted, how.
ever, was Mrs. Spofford with her acci-
dental guest, that she proclaimed tc
Miss Anthony and her friends that here.
after the Riggs House was Susan B
Anthony's home in Washington. Since
then each year she has entertained
"Susan" for three to five months, anC
Mrs. Stanton as well, is her guest dur
her official visits. Reduced rates
are made to the suffragists, ant
Mr.. and Mrs. Spofford give
them receptions each year, at which the
refreshments, also, are generously pro
vided Besides this, Mr.. Spofford'
carriage is always at Miss Anthony:
service, and in many other ways the no
overhowing treasury of the suffrage
cause is preserved from taxation. Thi
one woman, in her quiet and unosten
tatious liberality, is sort of back
ground to every annual convention
The attachment and mutual admiration
existing between the stately mistress o
the Riggs House, the lovable Mrs
Stanton and the hard-headed, soft
hearted Susan B. Anthony, is one of tn,
features of the movement. and utterly
refutes the theory that women canno
be friends to each other.
"Why do the newspapers send theil
boy reporters to do our conventions
demanded Mrs. G. L. Meadow of Mon
tana. "It is through these young men,
continued the lady, that the cause o
suffrage is retarded and held up to ridi
cule. The Misrepresentation of TIL
boy reporter is the stumbling block t.
our success.
Anxious to maintain the dignity o
the press, ] insisted on further eXplana
tion, as these boy reporters were doin
satisfactory work in every other field
These young men are mere boys
most of them" continued the lady
"and have preconceived notion q
: shr iekers, and an indefinite convictio
that the public expects either ridicul
or light and cunning irony. The resul
$ is that our most dlgnitied and orderl,
l deliberations, and our most intelligent
: and thoughtfully prepared addresse
4 and speeches are given to the worl
G through the medium of a reporter VIII
O. has neither the age nor experience
+ appreciate the serious side, nor W
S enough to serve the trivialities in
readable manner"
!. Mrs. Meadow is one of the mos
: conspicuous figures in the CONVEX
It ton, not only for beauty of pc
a son and grace of manner, bl
= from the fact that she is rich woma
!. by her own effort. Her husband ha'
e ing become an invalid, tied to his cha
Y through paralysis of the lower limb
e this lady undertook the plotting {
n their mutual fortunes. She bought
G gold mine in which no one but herse
e had much faith. In three years 81
h sold it for half million dollars. b
n she Is still in the mining business, an
/. tits in the operation of these mines TIL
1t she has found the strongest argumen
e for the ballot. "rhink Of il, she sai
o Indignantly, II am one of the heavie