Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-09-19


Its banner. Said she saw the Statue of
Liberty unveiled; thought then that it
was the greatest burlesque Of the age;
now thinks it a prophecy. Liberty
loving France with its wonderful in
buttons sent it as Il gift toour shores
and it foretells the liberty of the sex
it represents. a book was sent with it
containing the sentiments of Frances
greatest men. Victor Hugo on his
death bed, with fast dimming eyes,
wrote, "Fhe statue is nothing but the
idea it embodies is everything, for Lib
erty is woman and woman is Liberty"
Rev. Hines Of Elk Point was next
introduced. He expressed himself as
proud to he presented to the audience
and to take stand for the equality of
women. He made good speech and
then reviewed little of the early his
tory of the Abolition movement. AS
Mr. Hines is nearly ninety years old
his words had peculiar interest to the
audience. He is an Episcopal minister
and had charge OF the church in Bos-
ton, from which William Lloyd Garri-
son was dragged by an Infatuated mob
during the stormy slavery days. He
kept his little chapel open at all times
for temperance and anti-slavery meet
lngs. In 1910 they took the ground
that it was right for women to be on the
platform and take part in such meet
ings. Garrison always stood for woman
suffrage. We owe to him debt of
gratitude.
Rev. Olympia Brown, the second
woman ever ordained to preach and
president of the Wisconsin E. S. A.
spoke on the disfranchisement of the
church and school. More than three
fourths of the church members are
women. Nearly all the teachers are
women. Patriotism not taught in our
public schools, therefore the decline of
patriotism. Our youth are being edu-
Gated by disfranchised class. This
always brings disaster, Rome brought
teachers, cultured and refined, from
Greece. They were disfranchised, had
no interest in the government. patriot.
ism declined, Rome fell. So VS., Il Ia
here. Our men are becoming alarmed
and propose hoisting the stars and
stripes in every school house This
will do no good. Does intelligence or
morality count in our government?
The delegates to the Republican con-
vention say they dare not put al equal
suffrage plank in their platform. OF
whom are they afraid? Ofthefhurch-
es? OF the schools? OF thel1ntelli-
gence of South Dakota? Oh, no, but
of the drunkard, of the gamble5 of the
foreigner and Of the paupeg. For
shamel Our country is going tp utter
ruin unless help comes. Men in our
great cities are trembling beneath the
red flag OF the foreigner, and yet we
welcome them to our shores bysthous-
ands every year. 1t is time To 5consid-
er these things. Do your dhty next
November. Women have al duty in
this solemn hour. See that ft5ls not
neglected.
Rev. Anna Shaw then made the
speech of the evening which twas one
of the best to which we evers listened
Her wonderful voice and magnetic
power influences an audienceIin a re-
markable degree. In turn pathetic,
humorous, sublime, she swaysd her
listeners at will and carried con Yiction
to their hearts. Miss Shaw isN1slklolbt-
edly the "Quenn of the platform" in
South Dakota, and no one should miss
an opportunity of hearing hef
After song by the Mitchell Trio
and benediction by Rev. Hhger, the
convention adjourned to meefing bust
ness session at the Court House next
morning.