Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-01-16

1t was little cold for women to go ont this
morning, even to attend such an important
meeting the first session of the National
American Woman Suffrage Association. But,
nevertheless, some of the good women who are
| interested in this cause, and they now number
many thousands, assembled at 10 o'clock in
Metzerotts Hall. Some of the outside air had
managed to get into the hall. and the scene at
| the opening OF the convention rather
| cheerless one. However, the women who were
present as delegates have such warm hearts and
are so thoroughly interested in the
cause that in very short time their enthusiasm
had evoked glow that warmed and electr flied
the atmosphere of the ball. The attendance at
| the opening was almost entirely composed of
the delegates, and Of course thew were all of the
gentler sex, If this generally accepted phrase is
recognized by the members of the association.
One or two men came in and found places as
| beftting their sex on such an occasion
in the rear of the seats occupied by the
ladies. However. one man boldly walked
to the front and took seat in
the front row, and no one rebuked him
and he seemed to be happy. The delegates,
however, were too intent on business to paw at
tention to anything else. The day sessions are
intended to be devoted to business and the
members displayed an aptitude in that direc-
| ton that afforded a practical example of
| woman's ability to conduct public affairs. The
| faces of the delegates, as they sat massed to-
| gether in front of the platform and looked up
| to where their president sat, gave general i'm
! preston to the observer of strength of char
acter and earnestness.
| THE YOUNGEST DELEGATE.
| Among the hundred or more delegates who
were present there were women of varying ages
the youngest, perhaps, being pretty, bright
checked girl from Georgia, who wore a sort of
sombrero hat wi b all the piquancy of the wild
| west. Miss Anthony always presides with ability
and she has delightful little habit of run
ming in short speeches which help to fill up
the gaps and connect the different items Of
business into a Harmonious and compact
whole. She made laughing allusion to this
habit of hers which was half apologize, but
the delegates evinced their approval of the
habit and their hope that she would
keep right on by rigorous round Of
applause. So Miss Anthony kept on. Mrs.
| Elizabeth Cady Stanton. without whom it
almost seems impossible that a suffrage con-
vention could be held. was absent. and this fact
| Of course is deeply regretted by the delegates
| There Ii. however. young lady attending the
meeting whose name is Miss Anthony and who
takes an active interest in the cause.
| THE SUFFRAGE FLAG.
The hall where the convention meets is with
out any special decorations save two large flags
which cover the wall in the rear of the stage
At first glance they seem to be American flags
The stripes all there and so is the blue back
| ground for the stars. But the forty-four stars
are wanting. and in their place il inscribed on
| the blue ground the name Wyoming and be-
| meath it one large star. 1t is the suffrage flag
and while thus far only one state recognizes
completely the political equality of women still
| the association has left space on their flag for
other stars as other states fall in line.
| The floor OF the stage was covered with
| simple rugs, there We're few pieces of parlor
| furniture and some chairs and tables. The con-
| yention was equipped for work and they at
| tended to 1t without any waste of time.
| OPENING The CONVENTION.
1t was some time after 10 o'clock when Miss
Anthony raped for order. She then made an
announcement in regard to the seating of the
delegates requesting those from the same sta te
to occupy seats together and that only those en-
| titled to vote should locate in the middle tier of
seats. The delegate proceeded to carry out
these suggestions. the president looking on
| from the elevation of the stage. With the ex-
ception of the vice president, Rev. Anna II.
| Shaw of Philadelphia; corresponding Sec
| rotary, Miss Rachel Foster Avery Of Phila-
delphia. and the recording secretary, Miss
| Alice Stone Blackwell of Boston, and
| the stenograp her, Miss Anthony occupied the
stage alone. The air of the hall had some sting
of the chill of the prevailing temperature out
| side, and the ladies. as a rule kept their wraps
on. Miss Anthony wore substantial India
shawl instead of the small red shawl which
is as familiar at these annual gatherings as Miss
| Anthony herself
THE CALL OF STATES.
| The call of states then begun, Miss
Anthony informing the delegates that each
state was entitled to five delegates on account
! OF the president Of the state association, the
member on the executive committee and three
delegates-at-large, and in addition one for each
| 100 members of the association. On this basis
! New York state, as it had 1,435 members,
| would be entitled to nineteen delegates or
votes. As each state was called some repre-
sentative rose and announced the number of
delegates the states were entitled to and the
number present.
| tary, Miss Blackwell, read the minutes Of the
closing business meeting held last wear, which
were approved without correction.
TIL, treasurer, Mrs. Harriet Taylor Upton,
was made chairman of the committee on Gre
lie .ials with power to oppoint the other men,
beers Of the Committee.
REV. MRS. sHAw's REPORT.
The vice president-at-large, Rev. Anna How
ard Shaw, made a report of her work. She
stated that after the adjournment of the con-
vention last year she started on a tour of organ
ization. She spoke of the great convention
held in Kansas City, NO., and said that it
created widespread attention, the news
papers printing pictures of the women
present, and she added that she had
never seen hsndsomer collection of
faces. The delegates smiled their appreciation
| and then Mrs. Shaw described the work in Kan
sas. which she said had met wi gra .ifyinR sue
cess In addition to purely suffrage work Mrs.
Shaw said that she had delivered large num-
OF lectures, and while they were not all entitled
suffrage lectures, vet in every one she had never
failed to discuss suffrage. So these lectures
under the auspices OF literary bureaus and the
W. C. T. U. had served to disseminate the
principles OF suffrage without cost to the ma
tional association. She had received pay for
these lectures and ut the same time She WIS
spreading the gospel of suffrage.
This part of the report suggested to Miss
Anthony a somewhat similar experience which
she had during the year. and she impressed
upon the minds of the delegates that these OBJ
portunities to talk were all useful in spreading
the seed OF the truth which the association was
organized to disseminate.
MRS. AvERY's REPORT.
The corresponding secretary, Mrs. Avery,
made q report Of the work during the year in
which she stated that there had been steady
progress all along the line. There were now
thirty-fve auxiliary state societies, the recent
additions being from Florida and Louisiana.
In addition there are Isl county and local asso-
Citations. and total membership of Is. i5O The
association w reproseuted ut the conventions