The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-06-26

,errn.ned 10 hold their Advantage have 'oi
two years past been engager In peTfec'inl
n similar Organization within sheir ranks
and now am told considerably more than
a milton q, the u, COO voters IL The
country are enrolled IN one or the other Of
these great party organizations.
At Chicago we see fewer women than AT
Minneapolis. IN the Republican national
convention the women were distinct iea'
tire There were no women delegates, bnt
Wyoming. as is well known, sent t"o
women alternates. These representatives
Of the woman suffrage state attracted
much attention. Whenever the conven-
ton assembled the great crowd looked the
hall over and over TIL It's eye rested upon
the fair alternates from Wyoming. To
nv great regret the delegates from Wyom-
ipe were always present in their seats.
| Had / been one Of the delegates from
| Wyoming for whom a woman stood as
| alternate ! should have found it conyen-
TENT 10 be absent from the hall during at
least one roll call, so that my fair under
| study might have had her pane called out
and been given q chance 10 respond thereto
| before all that multitude and with the
ewes Of the nation upon her As II was, the
women did not get an opportunity 10
I vote. and hence were compelled TO go
! through the convention as too many
women are forced 70 go through life, play
ing the role OF silent partners.
But the women were factors in the con
vention after all, as they are factors IN
pretty much everything that goes on IN TINS
world nowadays. Never before were so
many women present in the ball OF q great
party convention. Among the spectators
jD the galleries about One-third Of all pres
ent were women. In the corridors Of the
West hotel. where the preliminary battles
were fought and whore the excitement was
more fierce than in the convention hall II
self. women were present by the thousands.
They were in the thick Of the fight, too,
thronRing the headquarters, pinning the
badges Of their favorites upon thousands
of manly breasts and seeking to win by
smiles and soft words the favor of all with
with whom they came in contact
Moreover, a small but determined band
of Indiana women were on hand working
a regular assignment in behalf Of Presi-
dent Harrison. Under instructions from
the presidents lieutenants on the ground
they took certain delegates In tow, and by
paying these pOssessOrs OF votes those little
attentions which mean nothing and yet
which are 50 very agreeable contributed
not q little TO the drmneSs with which the
Harrison lines withstood the assaults Of
the enemy. There are delegates whose
LOYALTY 20 Harrison was suspected who
were taken out driving by pretty women
to the lake resorts which surround Mime
apolis. TO little card parties at the homes
of society people, and who don't know why
they were thus bOnored If they viii Jog
their memories and perceptions and take
hint from me perhaps they will DE able 20
see that they were constantly surrounded
during these charming hours by Harrison
Influences, and that the women 10 whom
they feel indebted for their pleasure were
in nearly every case neighbors and personal
friends Of the president This was legiti-
mate campaigning, and in some cases 1t
was effective
II was a woman, too, the wife OF well
known New York newspaper man, who
created one of the most celebrated scenes
IN the annals Of national conventions.
When Mrs Carson Lake carried away by
her love for Mr.. Blaine and the excitement
Of the moment, stood upon her chair just
back of the presiding officers platform
and waved her white parasol IN a delirium
OF enthusiasm, the whole convention
caught the contagion Of her intrepid spirit,
and nearly lost its head in a freDzied wave
Of feeling. For fifteen or twenty minutes
this pretty young woman had that great
gathering under her control She guided
and directed them with that parasol AS an
orchestral leader commands obedience
from his musicians with his baton. When
with the heat and fatigue her enthusiasm
dropped and the parasol swung with less
euing vigor, the storm in the hall subsidized
and was about to die away all together,
when the little woman, with supreme ef.
fort, rose TO a higher pitch than before
and with both hands wildly swinging her
baton in an instant had the multitude re
spending in a burst OF acclaim and motion
which filled the air with electric currents
and stirred the hearts of the most common
place and cold booded Had such an in
cident as this occurred in the convention
which met at Chicago four years ago, the
man IN whose honor il was would have
been nominated for the presidency, and
then James g. Blaine, that fated leader,
would have been president after all.
1t was woman, too let us remember,
who made Mr.. Blaine a candidate before
this convention at Minneapolis. IL is we'll
known, as / have before pointed out In
these letters, that but for the influence Of
Mrs. Blape the great statesman from
Maine would not have permitted his name
to 90 before the convention. Mrs Blaine
had her reasons for exercising this strong
and as it proved, dominating influence
upon her distinguished husband, and as
wife who had shared his triumphs and his
disappointmentS it was her right to rule
II she could She was brave enough 70 be
willing 10 take her chances Of defeat, and
that she win bear her defeat in a manner
becoming 10 her position and character
there can be no doubt
II is evident that this is woman's era,
and that henceforth she is TO play more
important part in the movements and pos
lures Of the great parties than she has
ever played before She Is a welcome add
tion 70 the field OF public activity.
ROBERT GRAVES.
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