Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1892-03-09
THE SUFFRAGE CONVENTION.
Big CrOWd-GOOd Speeches-Every-
Body Satisfied.


which has been so well advertised tor |
the past four weeks, held its first ses-
sion at the opera house Monday night. |
Long before the time for the speaking |
to begin the house was we'll filled, and |
at o'clock 1T was crowded, not seat |
being left vacant on the floor or in the |
gallery. We noticed many wagons and |
buggies from the country.
The engine here ran off the track |
Monday, and could not be gotten back |
till an engine from Attica came over |
and pulled it back. This left the regu
lar IL O'Clock morning train here, in
stead of at Attica. When the ladies
arrived at AttIca they found no means |
of getting to Medicine Lodge except by |
riding in stock car. Mrs. Johns ard |
Rev. Annie II. Shaw grasped the sltua-
ton, and came, riding upon the engine
instead of III the special car provided |
for them. The other ladies remained |
at Attica over night, and came III yes
terday afternoon.
Exercises were opened by song from |
the quartette, composed of Prof. Bee
son, Mrs. O'Brian, Mrs. Rouse, and |
Frank Haynes. Then came prayer by
Rev. Cain. Vocal solo by Miss Lulu |
Hahn. Mr.. T. A. McNeal was to have |
delivered the address of welcome, but |
as he was not present, DR.. Phillips was
called on, and considering that he had |
no preparation, no time to arrange his |
ideas, his address was excellent. AS
DR.. Phillips got well started IN his ad-
dress, Mr.. McNeal arrived. When DR..
Phillips closed Mr.. McNeal began, and
we all know what kind ola speech to
expect from him. He kept his audi
ence in a good humor all the time, and
often made witty hits which brought
him loud applause. He concluded by
introducing Mrs. Laura M. Johns, pres
ident of the Kansas Equal Suffrage AS
SOcIation.
Mrs. Johns quickly stepped to the
front and began her address. She is
tall, slender, quick witted. active, edu
Gated, with a very clear voice, not
strong, but one that is easily heard and
understood. She alluded to the time
not long ago when Susan B. Anthony
travelled over the country making suf-
frage speeches, who had to post up her
own hand bills, while the boys jeered
and insulted her. Now ladies who are
campaigning on this question are pro-
vided with special cars, and when
they reach their point of destination
are accorded two addresses of welcome.
While AUNT Susan" was often refused
admittance to the hotels, her neices OF
the present day are Hospitality received
and generously entertained by the best
citizens Of the land.
Mrs. Johns is pleasant speaker. Sac
never hesitates for Il word, and hvg
ideas seem to be crOwding each olhtr
She would make friends of any intelii
gentaudlence. AT the close of her ad
dress she introduced her superior
officer, Rev. Anna H. Shaw"
Rev. Anna II. Shaw then came
forward. If any one ever heard
her match as a platform speaker, we
have not learned who it was. She is
the stephen A. Douglass" of all fe-
male speakers we ever heard. Rather
short and hed III build, with a head
and mouth like Douglass, with a wo-
mans timber tongue and rapid flow of
ideas; with generous education and
with many years of service in the pull
pit, she has made the best use of her
opportunities. The platform Is her
home. Her every sentence is logical
conclusion. She skinned Mr.. ingalls,
more thoroughly than ever he skinned
a rebel. She arranged the arguments
against woman suffrage, and then de-
mOlished them one by one, till nothing
was left. If there was man in the
audience who went there as an anti
suffragist, he would not have dared let
speech. He would have been jeered
and ridiculed out of the house. Oc-
casionally the speaker arose to flights
of eloquence which we have seldom
heard equalled by masculine talent
Her hits were hard ones, but she made
her target so plain that it seemed to
deserve all the blows it received. We
have never heard a speech so highly
complimented as hers was, and our
opinion is that it deserved more than it
received.
The meeting adjourned at the close
of Mrs. Shaw's Adde'S.
TUESDAY AFTERNOON MEETING.
The convention was called to order at
2:3O yesterday afternoon, by Mrs. Johns
who made speech on the Importance
of organizing. She thought few men
and women organized could accomplish
great deal more than large number
unorganlzed. She compared the state
government of Wyoming, where women
are enfranehised, with other state gov
ernments, m UGH to credit of Wyoming.
She said in other states the father can
give away an unborn child, while the
mother has no voice in the matter. He
can drink up or gamble off her wages.
She then introduced Mrs. Clara G.,
Hoffman, the speaker of the afternoon.
Mrs. Hoffman is known all over the
country as a splendid talker and an in
defatigable worker. She has spoken in
every city in Missouri and in every vii
lage of 500 population. Her voice east
ly fills any hall, and her arguments are
clear cut and unanswerable. She
showed up the evils of unequal suffrage.
and then showed the beauties of Equal
Suffrage, and requested everybody pres
ent who favored equal suffrage to arise
Y ~ h06 VyC OF Ck1 y
that all opposed to equal suffrage stand
up. Only one lady in the house. arose.
She declared that some of our laws
were enacted to look well ON the stat
utes, and not to be enforced, and that
some of our officers were elected To
6Fo xvf hofr In |