The sun., 1893-02-10
TO SAVE BOSTON'S COMMON.
THE WOMEN FLOCK TO THE STATE
HOUSE TO OPPOSE A BILL.

Opposition to tho Plan to Give Up Part OF
the Historic spot to . Railroad Company
Tor Storage Purposes in n Rapid Transit
scheme-women Hiss at the Hearing.
Boston. Feb. 0.-The women Of Boston en-
tered protest against !he surrender OF Bos-
ton Common to tho West End Street Railway
for tracks and storage purposes this morning
at the State House. and they did so with vigor.
The historic protest OF the Boston boys against
British Interference with their coasting was
nothing compared with the present agitation.
Two days ago the women OF Boston began to
see that the proposed rapid transit scheme in
cludcd taking part OF the Common. and since
then 1.50O OF them signed a aremonstrnnce.
Mrs. Julia Ward Howe's name headed this
list. and 1t was followed by that OF Mrs. Mary
Hemenway. Then came an array OF women's
signatures such as was probably never before
presented to the Legislature In behalf Of any
object
Preserving the old Common is exclusively a
womans movement. On the petition are tho
names Of the Lowells. the Sears the Amorys.
the Wnthrope the Cabots. tho Coolidges. the
Paines. the Peabodys. the Bigelows. the Hoop
ers. the Welds tho Quincys. the Warrens. tho
Appetons. and hundreds OF others Of high de-
gree. This is what tho women said:
We plead for the preservation OF Boston Common in
its entirety We hold that the trust committed to
must not be betrayed; that the silent but powerfu.
plea the poor OF large section OF our city must for
humanys sake be regarded: that this source OF
hea,hfu life for all those who live and toll within its
reach not be cut or Grateful for what It has
US and :" Gn m daily m to
to future generations
The green room at the State House was
Mrs. J. p. Brown superintended matters for
Whats 3 this document ?" she exclaimed in
answer TO m inuuirer'S question. - Well IL n
remonstrance from over 1.5OO women against
1 ns am %s a to mner saSw s bat
look % oyer this list and see who these. wonen?
are. Here. beg pardon. but you can't sign."
snsssribins lis name: sihs Is sSnanea Sl! to to
ence enc we have OF our own accord"
senator Kittredge opened proceedings, by
Soiyins taxing q portion q the common ior
frS% ts S9,Sssss
:'ono might think that there was a petitpn
here to sci! the Common; but such Is 5, not the
this statement. Then there was a spicy pas
sage, in attempting to limit the time Of the
minutes. senator Leary didn't want to shut
the ladies Off like that. lie thought they ought
led tSs the 'sf womens n orees and was to open the
discussion nrqtestsd as aSaInsth q such tta In tmo
and no limit was suggested.
But he represented the whole city Of Bos-
ton" Chairman KittredEe said.
This remark created considerable indiGna-
tion. NO! No. No" punctuatcd with Kisses
and other expressions of disapnrovai. came
from various parts Of the room Ten MINUTES nut
were so many remon strants who desired to be
heard that the hearing was continued Tonight.
When the morning session broke up tn" mem e.
were engaged in u heated wrangle over tho
propriety OF allowing the remonstrants to ex-
Street Railway officials. These officials had
been hissed every time their names had been
Mrs. Roger Wolcott. wife Of the Lieutenant
Governor. tried to stop the torrent OF Kisses.
hut could not,