The San Francisco call., 1895-05-21

The second annual session of the
Woman's Congress of the Pacific Coast
was called to order in Golden Gate Hall
yesterday morning at 1890 o'clock by the
president, Mrs. Sarah 3. Cooper of this
City. Before it had concluded its first
days labors. the home, the new woman,
motherhood and child training, and that
universally interesting subject, marriage,
were handled vigorously-the latter, in
several instances, without gloves.
The beautifully decorated hall was filed
to overhowing for quite time before the
hour announced for the opening. Every
seat in the auditorium was taken, the gal
leries were packed and jammed with fair
women and their escorts, and the aisles be-
low were crowded with many ladies and
quite number of membrane men at that
to venture into such a maze of feminine
loveliness, wit and wisdom.
The ladies of the auxiliary had worked
hard to make the big bare stage look pic
turesque, and their efforts were crowned
with complete success. The walls sur
rounding the platform were covered by
tail, slender bamboo trees, which were in
terspersed with few good prints and en-
cravings. Handsome screens and shaded
lamps helped to give the stage drawing
room effect, which was completed with
pretty chairs and lounges
The presidents table was mass of fra
grant crimson roses, in the midst of which
was placed marble statuette of the IA
nous Lucretia Mott. Susan b. Anthony's
seat had been made almost as gorgeous as
regal throne. 1t was an antique, high
backed chair, which the ladies had dEaped
with old gold plush and wreathed with
yellow marguerites, tied with orange rib
bons-the suffrage color.
Flowers were everywhere on the plat
form. Suspended from the ceiling,
"Woman's Congress, 1895" could be read
In large floral letters, and the left side of
the platform was entirely banked up with
an immense floral tribute which an anony-
nous friend had sent to the president.
= And Susan B. Anthony herself, the
grand old woman of woman's rights, the
evangel of the new woman, as new as she
beamed upon the welcoming faces before
her as the newest woman of them all.
White handkerchiefs waved and hands
clapped at her initial appearance, and her
utterances throughout the day were en-
phatically punctuated by the warmest
demonstrations. The Rev. DR.. Anna H.
Shaw, the first lieutenant of Miss Anthony,
received her full share of the plaudits of
the audience. Her utterances were mer-
rilv pointed shafts at many things, none
the less telling for their humor, and served
only to strengthen the impression the peo-
pie had gained of the reverend spinster
through the prints of the country.
And the women of California They, too.
did themselves and their State proud BY
their efforts on the rostrum. The address
of Mrs. Sarah B. Cooper, the president,
was one of the most beautiful, direct and
logical ever delivered from any platform
in San Francisco, barring none. 1t evoked
the warmest applause from the visitors
and fairly took the congress by storm. 1t
was epigrammatic and instructive, sound
and witty, The e1temporaneous ifterpola-
tions being particularly fetching.
Miss Kelso of Los Angeles took occasion
to come to gentle issues with Miss An.
thony during the afternoon on the ques-
ton of marriage bondage" and did SO in
manner that most certainly has won her
the hearts of those newly married and who
expect to be newly married, at least.
Miss Millecent Shinn and Miss Anna
Stoval of this city also read papers which
covered them with honor.
The congress will convene again at 10
O'Clock this morning, when a business
meeting will be held and officers elected
for the ensuing year.