The Washington critic. (Washington City, D.C.) 1890-1890, 1890-02-19
MISS ANTHONY'S VOICE.
SHE STRUGGLES TO MAKE IT HEARD
IN a BAD HALL.
Repnrts From All Sections Show the
FIourishlng Condition of tho Fe-
male Suffrage MISUNDERSTANDING
Women Not AnRtI cite.

Women Not ApathetiC.
The attendance at the Nation
American Woman Suffrage Association
Convention was very much smaller this
morning than yesterday and the ses sion
was devoted strictly to business. Some
complaint was made Of the acoustic
properties Of the hall, and Miss An
thony, who presided in the absence of
Mrs. Stanton, had to raise her voice
considerably to make herself heard.
The first part of the session was de.
voted to the reading Of State reports
Mrs. Clara b. Colby, who had been as
signed that task for Nebraska, the
first on the list. was not present, and so
Mrs. Eugenia b. Farmer was introduced
to tell that the woman suffrage move
ment was ilourishingin Kentucky, where
a State association and seven auxiIia-
ries have been organized during the
past year. Miss Harriet Purvis of
Philadelphia, q daughter of the we'll
known abolitionist, Henry Purvis, pre-
sented the report for Pennsylvania,
which showed that women are rapidly
getting into the good places in that
State.
Mrs. Lille Devereux Blake gave
chatty account of the progress Of the
movement in New York and regretted
that so much opposition is shown there
to matrons in police stations. The
women, she said, were determined TO
have representation on the committees
of the Worlds Fair, which would be
held in New York.
The venerable Henry B. Blackwell
gave full account Of the years work
in Massachusetts, which showed that
the State Association has from 5000 to
1000 members, and that there is much
activity in urging woman suffrage. The
| growth of public sentiment in the State
| in favor of woman suffrage was, he said,
! gradual but constant. Miss Harriette
! r. Shattuck also presented report for
| Massachusetts, showing the instruction
| of the woman suffragists of Boston in
civil governments, with view to their
being well equipped for their duties
when they become nlliledged voters.
Mrs. Clara A. McDiarmid told of
| what the women of Arkansas are doing
for woman suffrage, interest in which,
! she said, was stimulated by monthly
|
clared, were not apathetic, and only
agitation was needed TO stir things up.
The report of Wisconsin was pre-
sented by Rev. Olympia Brown, the
first woman clergyman of the United
States. Mrs. Brown spoke with all
the ease of u practiced minister
and told of the dissemination of woman
suffrage literature in Wisconsin. She
was very simply dressed in black and
had mildly ministerial appearance
that was quite noticeable Woman
suffrage, she said, was in the hearts of
the people and they were secretly pray
ing for it.
The routine of the proceedings was
here broken by song by Miss Johnson
of South Dakota. young suffragist
whose voice so pleased the audience
that they demanded an encore. Fol
this she sang The Angel Came,
which provoked hearty applause.
The Attitude Of this Association to-
ward Political Parties was then dis
cussed, the first to lead off being Miss
Alice McPiekler of South Dakota
who concluded that women should
have hand in the management of all
public institutions. Rev. Frederick A.
Hinckley of Florence, Mass, who
proclaimed himself Republican mug
wump with Democratic proclivities
said that the attitude of the association
should one of righteous demand upor
all parties and of entangling alliances
with none. The only way to hold to
gether, he said, was to maintain simply
the equality of rights of man ant
10 al nj
He instanced the case of Rhode
women in urging the passage of
prohibitory constitutional amendmen
aroused opposition and led to the de
feat of woman suffrage amendmen
when presented later.
Hon. William Dudley Foulke of In
diana followed in the same strain, ant
urged that the association shoul'
be absolutely non partisan and strict.
educational. lie recommended tina
! the association should secure as man,
men as members as possible, and shoult
| also seek to show that the statemen
that the great body of women are indif
ferent to woman suffrage is not true
"The main thing" he concluded, ii
union in our purpose"
Mrs. Shea of Kentucky precipitste
a very lively discussion by rising to pre-
. test against the frequency with whic
the old issue of abolition has bee
brought into the papers and discu'
! siops.
) II have come to these meetings &c
/ four years" she said, land have hear
of John Brown until | am tired of it.
S think we ought to leave abolition alone
. We Southern women don't want
thrown in our faces every five minute
t think that it would be only generosit
5 in the viCtors not TO keep dragging
a these old issues"
S This declaration was greeted wit
/ hearty applause, and Miss Anthon
FASTENED to say that she considered th
criticism, OF rebuke, of Mrs. Shea d'
served one.
+ Some of the others did not take I'll
+ criticism 50 kindly, however. Mrs
Isabella Beecher Hooker, whose remark
+ on Tuesday evening were among thos
J. referred to by Mrs. Shea, declared thu
I she meant ne oilense and added as a
: expression of opinion that she ha
thought always that the cmancipatic
i of the colored man, without amnesty fl
all the white men of the South, W;
0 one of the most disgraceful things ev'
q done.
This was treading on dangero,
5 ground, and Miss Anthony attempted
l. choke her of, but Mrs. Hook
went on TO say that the w
g Democrats were the grandest men
q the country These remarks fred IL
+ spirit of Mrs. Julia Ward Howe. VIII
said the whole matter was out of orde
a and then brought in quite irrel
/ vanity some statements about fig
with the Catholics over school affairs