Evening star., 1896-01-28
They Took Possession Of the Capt.
to] This Morning.
ARGUING FOR FEMALE SUFFRAGE
Mr.. Blackwell Rouses the Ire of
Southern Men.
NJ r. Pc FIFE ER S Pc A X S

venttOn. Between 12 and 80 o'clock the
delegates were received by Mrs. Cleveland
at the White House, and at o'clock there
was a business session of the convention
at the Church of Our Father, and there
will also be public session this evening
at s.
The hearing before the House judiciary
committee at the Capitol this morning was
SO largely attended that the seating ca
pacity of the committee room was taxed to
the utmost and the crowd overflowed into
the corridor outside. The suffragists had
massed their forces in array against
Chairman Henderson and his associates,
and addresses were made by dozen or
more of the best of the women speakers
representing different states Miss An
thony presided and introduced the speak
efs. The hearing was marred by but one
untoward circumstance, and that occurred
during the speech OF Mr. Blackwell, the
only male orator.
The members of the committee present
were General Henderson of Iowa, the chair
man, and Representatives Boatner, Brod-
erick. Brown. Updegraff. Culberson, Baker,
Washington, Gillett, Burton, DeArmond and
Terry.
The hearing was on the joint resolution
introduced into the House by Representa-
tive Northway. The resolution, looking
to sixteenth amendment to the Constitu-
ton was follows:
Representatives of the United States of
America In Congress asse mbled Uwo-thirds
OF each house concurring therein). That the
following article be proposed to the legisla-
lures OF the several states as an amend
ment to the Constitution of the United
states. which. WREN ratified by three
fourtns OF the said legislatures, shall be
valid IS part of said Constitution, namely:
Article XVI, section !. The right of citi-
zens of the United States to vote shall not
be denied or abridged by the United States
Or by any state on account of sex.
Sec. 2. The Congress shall have power
by appropriate leg:s lation to enforce the
provisions CT This article"
Miss Anthony's Addreas.
In beginning the addresses. Miss Anthony
said that for years the women of the coun-
try had been appealing to Congress to re-
move the restrictions which prevented them
from exercising their full rights in the
government. In 1856 they petitioned Con-
gress, and this is the fourteenth Congress
that she has addressed through committees
Oh this subject. Were she not animated by
faith in the virtue Of the cause and hope of
It's ultimate success she would long since
have given up the contest.
Il ask, said Miss Anthony that YOU
VIII do as much for your wives. your SIS
ters and your daughters as you or your
fathers did for the newly emancipated ne
groes OF the south. l ask that you report
fdTorabiy on this resolution If that is not
possible, at least some of you can bring in
a minority report. SO that We may know
where We stand on this question"
But, Miss Anthony said Gen. Hender-
son, interrupting her. what 1 want to
know is, where do you stand with the wo-
men,
Il don't care where we stand with them
They have nothing to do with 1t. 1t is the
men that we want to reach
But We are given to understand" con-
tinued the chairman of the committee.
10 Sor. thayr, ,sltty r,,1r Il
not want suffrage"
"A majority of children are opposed to
education" replied Miss Anthony quickly;
but still we make them go to school,"
An Array of Orators.
Miss Anthony then introduced as the
first speaker Mrs. L. T. Hughes, the wife
of the governor of Arizona, who made an
earnest plea for the recognition of women.
stating that the women of Arizona conf
dently expect to obtain suffrage within the
next eighteen months.
Mrs. Charlotte Perkins Stetson of Cali
fornia adlhittcd that a majority of the wo-
men of the United States have not as yet
come out for suffrage. but she claimed that
suffrage would raise the general average of
the race by improving the quality of one
half its members arguing at some length on
the educational value of suffrage. There is
no better way, she said, to improve or ee-
vate race or people than to improve the
women. We hear much of the mother Of
Washington and the mother of Lincoln but
we should remember, too, that Charles j.
Ciuiteau had mother. Women have been
hanpered and prevented from reaching
their best development by the system of re-
preston to which they have been compelled
to submit for generations They have al
ways been deprived of the exercise Of GER
tain functions, and to Just such q degree
they have failed of complete DEVELOPMENT
Mrs. Anna L. Diggs of Colorado announced
that she came before them as @ full-fedeed
citizen of the United States, as coming from
state where women have equal rights wit h
men before the law. She asked that the
women Of other states be given their rights
to the same extent. She believed that wo-
mans sphere is the home. yet it Is Just for
that very reason that women want s1sfra 90
There is a problem she said, confronting
the people of the land today which is not
easy OF solution, for there are undermjninp
Influences at work directed straight at the
nc mes and the underlying Institutions of the
ration. They might not admit it eIouuent-
iy from the public rostrunl, but at the same
time there is a growing feeling of doubt a
to the stability of all republican institu-
tions. and women are equally competent
with men, and fully able to assist them in
the work of meeting the difficulties of the
times. The country has been well fathered.
put 1t mas not been well mothered. and that
Is precisely what is the trouble with it,
Mrs. Katie Addison of Kansas said that
when the men of her state refused to grant
the right of suffrage to women they dealt
d Hdiu JioH al the nope tnat Kansas would
be truly the land of the Free where women
might occupy their true position She paid
high tribute to the ability and character
of Miss Anthony, and asked what that noble
woman might not have done for her coun-
try If the opportunity had been extended to
her. Still. If the love of her fellow women
could make up for that of which she had
been deprived, her cup must be full.
One of the most attractive speakers in
the convention, Mss Elizabeth u Yates of
Maine. then addressed the committee. She
sail that in all legislation women are as
vitally interested men. 'It Is claimed"
she said, that women 60 not understand
government. But notice that when a wo-
man, who Is returning from Europe with
trunks and band boxes full of silks and
laces that she is trying to bring in without
paying duty, and Is caught at 1T by the
customs officers, TO one ever says poor
woman, she didn't understand the tariff
BY the deeds that are dark and the ways
that are vain she has shown That she un-
derstands the principle of the tariff pretty
well. and 1 don't think that any are ever
caught SO stupid as to be smuggling in
articles that are on the free list"
Mr.. Blackwell Makes a Scene.
The next speaker was Mr.. Henry B.
Blackwell of Massachusetts,, who was In
troduced by Miss Anthony as the husband
of the late Lucy Stone. The effect OF his