The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-06-25
SUSAN BIS FIRST SPEECH
1t Consists of Only Two Sentences,
but 1t Went to the Point.
New York sun.


1t is just forty years since Miss ANTHONY first
lifted her voice in public. She spoke exactly
three sentences on that occasion, bur they cost
her an effort almost greater than the commo-
ton her act excited. Il was at the New
York State teachers convention, In the city
of Rochester, and Miss Anthony was in
attendance for the first time in her life
There were about thousand women teachers
there and about two hundred men. But the
men were certainly glorious minority. They
gave the reports, made all suggestions. noni-
naIed committees = OF themselves and. in
short, they were the convention. Not one of
the women had ever raised her feeble voice
In approval or protest. At this meet
ing several OF the men loudly bewailed
the fact that society did not re-
spect teachers as it respected LAWYERS
doctors and ministers. They said that thev
were called Miss Nancys and old grandmother
when terms, they did not seem TO consider re-.
speetlui. Ihey declared that the vocation of a
ieaehef was superior In Importance to that of a
lawyer or doctor. Yea! even OF 4 minister
AZ TINS point OF the discussion a strange and
awful thing occurred. A woman rose and said
MIR. President. That woman was young Miss
Anthony. This is tile way she tells Of what
happened:
,, When the president stepped to the front of
the platform he said, What will the lady
nave? just as If some one had tainted away or
something had happened. The Thought had
never entered the mans head, never even
should speak when there were 200 men present
for that purpose.
MI. President I said, Il would like to
SPEAK on lhe question under Discussion
what 40 you think be said :? He look ed
gown al The handful of men. who. of course.
hao me good seats in front, and inquired sol
emmy WHAT was the pleasure of the conyen-
lloni linen some gentleman arose and made Il
notlon tnat lhe lady be ailowed-alowed,
mlnd you-to speak. For half an hour they
discussed that motion Finally. by small
majority, l was permItted 10 say what had
ON my mind. All this time 1 had stood there
determined 10 keep the floor at any cost. There
down.
Mr.. President and gentlemen I said as
DraVely as L could, Il have listened to your dis
cusslon with great deal of interest, but it
seems 10 me that none of you quite comprehend
the cause OF the dsrespect you complain Of.
20 yon not see that while woman has not
pralns enough TO be minister. a doctor or
lawyer, out has ample brains to be teacher,
every man OF you distinctly acknowledges that
hs mas not any more brains than woman?'
w men sat down three men walked the
Ieugth OF the hall, shook hands with me and
thanked mel hardly know why. The news
paper accounts the next day said that maze
nan on the head But 1t did some good,
anyway. Alter my plunge women were
allowed an "on,, 10 read papers, were placed
III me conventions. |. myself, was asked to
r mS tlisnG apeIISm7whlch, by the way. l get
write tor me-and' IN a voice somewhat
the worse for having my heart in
my throat read IL before The convention. or
course. The paper was good-Mrs. Stantnn
wrote II; but this was the cheerful way in
Wnlch Father Hazelton complimented me on t:
In matter and manner / would not have
asked that your address should be different,
put, madam, would ia her have followed my
wife and daughter TO Greenwood cemetery
tnan have had them stand before this audience
and read that address,.
Now. wasn't that nice OF him ?" says Miss
Anthony qulzzicaliy, and then murmurs reflect.
lively, 1.-The world do moVe.'