The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-06-17
WOMAN SUFFRAGE.
TWELFTH ANNUAL MEETING or
THE VERMONT ASSOCIATION
Held at NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. by Mrs. julia
Ward Howe-Ohicers Elected. = .

ton held its twelfth annual meeting at
Montpelier last Wednesday evening and
Thursday. The convention was held in
the Church of the Messiah, the interior of
which was bright and fragrant with cut
flowers and ferns. life.size portrait
of Mrs, Lucy Stone adorned the platform
The music was under the direction of #. W.
Bancroft
L. f. Wilbur of Jericho, the president
OF the association, presided. Although 1t Is
not the desire OF the WATcHMAN to criti-
else, it must, in truth, be said that rarely,
even at school district caucus, is presid
ing officer seen who is so entirely unfamil-
lar with his duties, or so unfit for the posi-
ton. without coaching from several of the
alert ladies from Montpelier, Mr.. Wilbur
would hardly have been able to get through
the proceedings on the opening night.
The preliminary exercises consisted OF
Scripture reading and prayer by Rev. L. L.
Beeman cordial greeting by Mrs. G.. b. b.
by Rev. j. Edward Wright, response by
Mrs. Julia Ward Howe Of Boston, an ad-
dress on Woman Suffrage" by Mary N.
Chase of Barnet.
Mr.. Wright, in his address Of welcome,
referred to the change in public sentiment
in regard to the woman suffrage movement
that has taken place during the past twenty.
five years, how the contracted sphere OF
woman has broadened and how the old
time prejudices have vanished. AS pastor
the delegates, and the advocates OF this re-
form movement to his pulpit believing, as
he did, that the proceedings would not be
at variance with the preaching OF the Cos
pei.
very cordially received as she rose to re-
spond. She spoke of a former visit to YER
mont in company with Mrs. Mary A. Liver
more, Lucy Stone and William Lloyd
Garrison, and compared the welcome they
then received to the one that had just
greeted her. She said that woman suffrage
is only part OF the progress of the world
that is to be. The legislatures, stubborn as
they are, are beginning to yield and to &C
cord to woman her rights. She spoke at some
length Of the progress that has been made in
the Massachusetts legislature and said the
enfranchisement OF woman there has
brought the promise, OF which the right of
suffrage shall be the seal.
THURSDAY MORNING.
At the session Thursday morning the re-
rendered and adopted, and the following
officers were elected for the ensuing year !:
President, Mrs. Phoebe Stone Beeman Of
Montpelier; secretary, Miss Laura Moore
Of Barnet: treasurer, @. w. Wyman OF Brat
tleboro; auditor, Mrs. A. d. Chandler OF
Barton Landing; vice-presidents, Addison
county, Miss Julia e. Smith Of Ferris
burgh; Caledonia, Mrs. G. j. Clark of East
Peacham; Chittenden, o. P. Ray of Bur-
lington and l.. f. Wilbur Of Jericho; Essex,
Mrs. A. M. W. Chase of West Concord ;
Franklin, Rev. G.. L. Story Of Bakersfield;
Lamoille, Mrs. Laura j. Gleed of Morrisville;
Orange, Miss E. B. Douglass of Thetford
Center; Orleans, Mrs. P. K. Edes Of New
port; Washington, j. P. Moore of Warren
Windham, Q. W. Wyman of Brattleboro;
Windsor, Hon. Chester Pierce; financial
committee, Mrs. A. D. Chandler. Miss
Laura Moore, NJ. Nettie Chase A. B.; SUI
perintendents of woman suffrage papers,
Mrs. E. M. Dwinell of Glover and Rev.
M. Atwood of st. Johnsbury.
THURSDAY AFTERNOON.
L. F. Wilbur of Jericho, the retiring pres
ident, gave his address in the afternoon,
and Miss M. E. Ward OF North Danville
rected an original poem. Addresses were
given by Rev. G. P. Taplin of Essex and
Mrs. l.. L. Beeman of Montpelier. The
subject of the latter address was The New
Man." and was of more than ordinary in
terest. The question box was in charge of
Miss Laura Moore of Barnet, the secretary.
THURSDAY EVENING.
A service of song occupied the first half
hour of the Thursday evening service, in
which the regular choir Of the Church of
the Messiah was assisted by the Mozart
Quartette.
Mrs. L. L. Beeman, chairman of the com.
u,
which was accepted, the substance of which
is, THAT we will continue the work of
emolument OF persons pledged to favor
equal rights for women in the government,
and as next step towards this result we
will petition the legislature OF 1896 for law
extending municipal suffrage to Vermont
women; that we respectfully appeal to the
voters Of Vermont to elect men to the next
legislature who will respect the rights Of
the whole people, irrespective Of sex; that
we rejoice in the endorsement of the woman
suffrage constitutional amendments now
pending in California and Idaho by the
state conventions of republicans, populists
and prohibitionists.
Miss Clara 1. DeFord sang a solo and
prayer was offered by Rev. A. II. Webb
Rev. A. j. Covell of Waterbury was down
for an address, and, by request, he repeated
a baccalaureate sermon delivered before
the graduating class of the Green Mountain
Seminary at Waterbury Center, in June,
1895. His text was from Esther iv:14-
And who knoweth whether thou art come
to the kingdom for such time as this?"
From these words he preached an excellent
discourse on " Woman's Opportunities"
After singing the Battle Hymn of the
Republic" by Frederick W. Bancroft, the
choir and the audience joining in the cho-
rus, Mrs. Julia Ward Howe was introduced
She referred to her conversion to the suf
frage movement and spoke of the first time
Lucretia Mott delivered an address in Bos-
ton On this subject. Mrs. Howe attended
woman suffrage convention held in Worces-
ter, Mass, forty years ago, and at that time
she was very much opposed to the move
ment. Later she joined the association in
Boston and ever since has been closely
identified with it. She eloquently referred
to the progress Of the work since the time
she became identified with it, and paid
loving tribute to Lucy Stone. She spoke OF
her personal knowledge Of the work in
England and of her regret that New Eng
land was behind England and Canada,
Wyoming and Colorado In closing, she
urged the women of Vermont not to hold
back on this question, but to take it up
now, study the suffrage question and follow
it, and have the glory, when it come, of
having worked for it.
At the close of her address Mrs. Howe
was requested to tell under what circum-
stances she wrote the Battle Hymn of the
Republic" which she did in very happy
manner. By request, the hymn was re-
peated by Mr.. Bancroft, and the exer-
cises closed with the benediction by Rev.
j. Edward Wright.
Two LIVES SAVFD Phmhe