The herald., 1895-06-13
SUSAN

part that Susan b. Anthony, Lucy Stone
and Elizabeth Cady Stanton have playeo
in its growth, the first speaker was intro
duced.
Miss Anthony gives little evidence OF
her three score and ten or more years.
Her slight figure and serene, mild face
show few signs OF the indomitable force
and will that have urged her for the past
forty-five years to persistent course not
only OF having the courage of her convic-
tions, but OF commanding the respect OF
those who come in contact with her or
them.
Miss Anthony's manner is very simple
and straightforward, her language plain,
but she carries conviction in all she says.
With her opening words she expressed
the hope and belief that California would
be the next to bring itself in line with
the fundamental principles of the Decla-
ration of Independence and that every
body woold go to the ballot box in 1886,
because that wretched little adjective
''male" had been stricken out. Miss
Anthony referred pleasantly TO her last
visit to California, twenty-four years
ago; of tn, revolution that had taken
place all over the world since then re-
garding equal rights.
The,speaker said she kne wsancient is
tory was tedious, but she must go back
fifty years and take look over affairs.
Then she spoke of II woman's rights con-
vention held in Seneca Falls, n. Y, at
that time, in which Elizabeth Cady Stan
ton and Lucretia Mott were actively in
terested, but that, as no woman had ever
thought OF presiding, Mr.. Mott was called
upon to undertake that obligation. The
convention only met to adjourn, how
ever, for two weeks, and then woma II
did preside, and it was the greatest in
novation ever made.
That woman, said Miss Anthony, is
Mrs. Abigail Bush. She is IS years old
now, and she lives in San Jose. A cen-
uine resume of the subject was then gone
over the fact that women not only did
not preside, but that they were not al
lowed to speak or even to pray in public
in those days. They might pray IN their
closets, but not in church. In the
schools, women could teach but not he
ter fifteen years teaching at 81. 90 week
and board in eastern New York, Miss
Anthony said, she went to Rochester !;
and at the eighth or ninth state conven-
ton Tor teachers, where there were per-
haps two thousand women and two hun
dred men. she spoke for the first time.
This was followed with a graphic ac-
count OF the circumstan and its result
on both men and women. 1t decided
Miss Anthony 10 follow such conven-
tions and others up, and for decade she
did so. and she had seen the Gradual
change until good women teachers were
paid the same as men, and when they
were better they were made principals.
For ten years the speaker attended teach
ers' conventions ana the importance of
the place women took increased wit h
each year; they were made officers and
finally she herself was made the chair
man Of o convention which was to de-
eide the question OF what was afterwards
known as co-educaton.
Then came very interesting account
OF the manner in which Miss Anthony
enlisted Elizabeth Cady Stanton soasssit-
ane in getting up that report. While she
cared for Mrs. Stanton's household and
seven children, the latter, who had the
mind Of philosopher and statesman, and
was panman as well. made up the report.