The Washington critic., 1890-02-16

Susan Il. Anthony has passed into his
tory and the frolic Of the wise and
witty women is done, they will leave
the faded garlands aud the fragments
OF the feast 20 take care of themselves.
while the sober. faced. determined
workers for equality will fall into line.
Early 10 morrow morning the Riggs
House snd its environment will present
an unusual fiutter and swish OF fem
nine chat and silkon gowns The
convention opens at Lincoln Hall at 10
o clcck, ard up 10 that hour suffrage
hcadQ uarters will he the scene Of many
last committee conferences and iufor-
nal WAYS and means propositions.
Forty years ago the pioneers Of this
movement were treated rs criminals
who had perpetratcd n species of sin
outside of the dccaloguc and beyond
the civil statutes of the Government.
They were offenders against public sen
timent and they Invited the abuse,
lidicule and contempt of that fetch
called society.
Good. honest. God and husband fear
ing women hushcd their naughty chill
dren into terrorizcd silence 10y threat
of Susan b. Anthony, and good. honest,
hidG-bound old fathers In the church
groaned with JUNCTION, shook their heads
and cast theiI eyes to heaven when
that brilliant. oman.hearted, man
headed Feformer was billed to speak
Twenty years passed, and the little
lesven dropped from the ready tongue
ard tireless pen of Susan b. Anthony
and Elizabeth Cady Stanton had at last
filtered through the crust of social
prejudice and infused itself through the
Lody polite. Children ceased to trcmblc
" hen the Fearful women" were in the
neighborhood. and even the SISTERS in
bondage had come to the conclusion
that, while the strong minded women
might be as weak minded as men af-
tirmed. they were harmless. and that all
their dreadful 'goings on" and their
speaking out in meeting had neither
brought direct punishment from the
omnipotent nor aggravated their own
acknowledged ills. The good. honest
man, who yet prOfessed the Biblical
than. thc-angel' woman,
still held that his own countrywomen
should rank with the "imbeciles,
had ceased TO groan, but he would not
leave of shaking his head
Ten years more. 1t was regarded in
polite society as little "queer" for II
woman of social prominence to take a
stand for equal rights, even though "A
genuine interest was growing among
women. and kindlier sentiment was
moving the minds of men. Still, the
mass Of women feared the sound of
their own voices.
But the world is moving, not in the
old. steady PAGES, but by cratic leaps,
Higher education and physical culture
are playing havoc with feminine docil,
ity. II know enough to represent my
self" says this new-fanglcd woman
ard 1t begins to look as if she might
presently be strong enough to back up
her intelligence.
In the year 1890 the fad is not crochet
tides and weak novels. Even women
in the great world of fashion are no
longer mere clothes-racks for French
costlimers, the mere giver of parties mol
the love.lorn victims of romantic ut
tachments. Women of fashion and in
cidental political power have an ambi
ton to attain son ethinG more than tn,
homage paid their husbands rank anG
buffers and dressmakers
Thirty years ago ii was as much a.
the industrious Susan could do to rally
few scared, dazed spinsters in obscure
places who would listen TO a recital o.
their own grievances. In 1890 large
company of the brightest and best meI
and women, including statesmen
authors. journalists, scholars and philan
thropisls. meet to do her honor. Is this
conquest made merely by the woman
or her cause, or both?
The evidence in the case seems in ia
yor Of the female "sulfragist," as tn
cause now claims among its supporter
not only the wives of nearly thirt,
Senators, but nearly twenty five of til
Senators themselves, and the number o
sympathizers in the House has EXTENDED
until the count is lost sight of.
Among the "saints" whom Miss An
thony has put down in her white list
Speaker Reed of Maine is given prece
6ence at the head of the column. Boil
himself and, his wife are in sympath,
with the movement and when Mr.
Reed presented minority report 70
them in 1884 he charged bigger gul
fer his own booming than by any re
cent House tactics. Should this Con
grcss give women the ballot, Speake
Reed would find himself, fgurativel,
speaking, in the embrace Of an cnoI
nous constituency.
Senator Vance has likewise wo
golden opinions in the suffrage ranks
II Is this North Carolina Democrat VIII
has done for them what no Norther
Republican has ever offered. He sc
cured and furnished a comfortable roou
at the Capitol and had Woman SUI
tIage" In gold letters tackled over III
door. He has made the thorny pat
Of Congressional conference SO smootl
10 their unaccustomed feet that the bal
lot once In their hands, who can pre-
diet that the Presidential ticket Of 1S9
may not fly Northern Republica
and a Southern Democrat.
Against the chivalry Of Reed, Yanc
aud Representative Taylor of Ohio tn
chill Indifference Of Representativ
Culbertson looms up huge black spot
This gentleman, as chairman OF tn
House Committee, would not even IT
port adversely on their argument 81
;fwinks, ancient Jokes of ''lone- hare
men and short haired women" mu,
face the evidence which the folloWin
names Of Senators and their wives cor
slitute. These are from Miss Anthony
white list. given with an apology I
wh0msOeyer has been omitted fror
among the elect. Here they are Fry
of Maine, Davis Of Minnesota, Farwe
and Cullom Of Illinois, Dixon of Rhod
Island and Dolph of Oregon, Blair {
New Hampshire. Casey Of North d.
koia. and Moody and Pettigrew
South Dakota, Paddock Of Nebrask
Sherman of Ohio, Teller of COLORADO
Stookbridge Of Michigan, Plumb
Kansas. Wilson of Iowa, Allen al
Zo..,sroo ~ " aoy,I.o4nn IIoo. % NJ,