Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1899-06-03
WOMAN SUFFRAGE CONVENTION.

Thursday Evening and Friday
Election of 0tflcers-Addresses by
Rev. George L. Story Of Milton,
Prof. H. B. Blackwell of Boston,
Mrs. Carrie Chapman Gait of New
York and Others.
The Woman's Suffrage Association of
Vermont opened its 18th annual CONVEX
ton in Bellows Falls Thursday evening
with but small number of members in at
tendance, out of the la who are scat
tered throughout the state.
This association was organized In Yer
mont at St. 'Johnsbury in the fall Of 1883
by Lucy Stone Blackwell, Julia Ward
Howe and Mrs. Tracey Cutler, then
prominent agitator of womsn's suffrage in
the west. The society in this state has
only one local branch, organized last year
in Burlington with Mrs. Judge Taft as
president, and numbering about 20 men,
bers
The convention was called to order
Thursday evening by the president, Rev.
George L Story Of Milton, after which the
LADIES' quartet Of the Congregational
church rendered beautiful selection, and
Scripture lesson was read and prayer o.
ferred by Rev. G. R. B.Dodge of the Bap-
fist church. At the vote of the house the
president appointed the following commit
tees: On business, Mrs. Charles Martin
and Miss Mary Burke on resolutions, Mrs.
E. r. Campbell, Rev. Elisabeth Goldth.
waite of Felchville, Miss Laura Moore of
Barnet, Rev. Albert Hammatt Of the Uni
versalist church and Rev. f. w. Lewis of
the Methodist church.
Rev. Albert Hammatt, in very happy
manner, then welcomed the association to
Bellows Falls, assuring the members that
the warmth Of the greeting was in no de-
gree below the weather provided for the
occasion. A response in kind was returned
by the Rev. Elizabeth Goldthwaite, who
spoke of this age as being one Of too much
progress and too little civilization, the lat
ter being plant OF slow growth and one
of its fruits the woman's suffrage move
ment.
A solo, The Holy CITY," was sung by
Miss Ruth White with most pleasing effect,
after which the speaker Of the evening,
Rev. Mr.. Story, was introduced by G. W.
Wyman of Brattleboro.
Every question, Mr.. Story said, has two
sides and his position on the woman's SUI
frage question was proven by his presence
at this convention. The existing order of
political affairs, if carried to its logical con-
clusion, would, in his opinion, place the
ballot in the hands of the women. They
are citizens, amenable to the laws of the
land and are not only part but majority
of the people. They are subject to taxa
ton; are acknowledged to be as intelligent
as men and as rule more conscientious.
Ths most inconsistent argument he thought
was made by those who claim that men
and women are radically different in
thought and environment, and yet assert
that men can represent women politically
to the entire satisfaction of the latter. We
acknowledge the value of woman's moral
force and still refuse to admit its purifying
influence where it is certainly the most
needed. We place the ballot in the hands
| of negroes and foreigners of all descrip-
tons and will probably give it later to Gu
bans and Filipinos, but dare not trust it to
the intelligent, patriotic American women.
Mr.. Story presented the arguments of the
woman's suffragists in convincing man
ner and was listened to with interest.
FRIDAY MORNING.
After the devotional service led by Rev.
F. w. Lewis came the business session OF
the convention. 1t opened with the report
Of the secretary, Miss Moore, who stated
that though progress had been made in the
work, the women of Vermont were still
disenfranchised except in school questions.
Through the aid Of William Lloyd CARR
son, who made an appropriation from
funds in his hands for the Vermont associ-
alton, the Woman's journal, or some other
organ of the organization, has been sent to
every newspaper Office in the state the last
year in the hope that clippings would be
made therefrom, and it was urged that
further efforts be put forth to bring the
subject to the attention of the papers.
The petition for municipal suffrage pre-
sented to the last legislature was signed by
2506 names, SCI being from Ferrisburgh,
361 from Barton and 291 from Burlington.
Several voluntary promises were made to
support the bill, Speaker Haskins being
among the friends of the measure; never
theless it failed of success. A cheering
feature of the work is the recent co-opera-
ton of the Woman's Temperance Union,
which has added department Of franchise
to its list aud devotes much time at regu-
lar meetings to discussion Of the suffrage
question. During the year there have
been five deaths among the members of
the association: Mrs. E. A. Butler of
ST. ,Johnsbury. Mrs. Eliza Brock Mattocks