Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-03-15
A REPLY TO MISS BIssELL.

To the Editor OF the Register
Sir:--In yours of recent date no
tice paper read before the House
and Senate committee by Emily P.
Bissell in opposition to woman suf-
frage, in which she says:
'The suffrage movement must be
against the opinions of most of our
sex, since it has been pushed for fifty
years by as able and popular wom-
an as Miss Anthony and still remains
a minority movement. In these fifty
years every other woman's movement
really desired by women has succeed
ed. The educational movement (not
necessarily the cO-educatiOnaD is a
magnificent success, and, by the way,
/ may mention here that the presidents
of four of the most prominent wom-
ems colleges are anti-suffragists. The
movement for property rights is SO
successful that even married women
now have more rights than married
men. The entrance of women into all
occupations and professions has been
so great that now out of possible 1853
occupations, over $50 have been con-
Quered for our SEX"
This really makes me tired. won
der if the 'antis" ever stop to think
that they have fought against every
one of these steps in the progress of
women from learning to read and
write to casting ballot? The many
privileges and equitable laws which
Miss Bissell glories in calling atten-
ton to have, without exception, been
brought about by the persistent efforts
of the woman suffragists.
When they first commenced their
labors, there were but seven avenues
of occupation open to women whereby
they could earn a dollar. There was
not college open to women nor
profession they could enter. The fact
that it was proposed that a woman
should preside at meeting or make
a speech, was suggestion so absurdly
funny that to mention such a thing
was to create smile in any circle.
Each legislative enactment for the
benefit of women has been obtained
by the unwearied efforts of the advo-
Gates of woman suffrage. Suffragists
have demanded that colleges be open
ed, they have fought their way into
the professions, they have gone to leg
islators and obtained the repeal of OBJ
noxious laws and the enactment of
beneficial ones, they have published
papers and written articles, they have
made speeches which have forced peo-
pie to think and thus brought about a
change in public opinion on the whole
question of woman's position, her
rights and wrongs.
1t is a matter of history with what
ridicule Mary Lyons first attempts to
secure the education of women were
received, not only by the mass of men
but by the mass of women as well.
In England, when the Oxford examina-
lions were thrown open to women, the
Dean Of Chichester preached sermon
against it, in which he said:
by the sex at large, certainly tbs
new curriculum is not asked for.
have ascertained by extended inquiry
among gentlewomen that, with true
| feminine instinct, they either distrust
or else look with disfavor on SO wild
an innovation and interference with
the best traditions of their SEX
| Mrs Lucinda H. Stone, of Kalama-
zoo, Mich, who, with her husband,
| was chiefly instrumental in opening
Michigan University to women, went
abroad about that time in charge of
travelling party of young women
going to visit the Holy Land. Among
their fellow passengers was band of
ladies going out as foreign mission
aries. Vassar was the topic of CONVEX
sation, and public opinion was strong
ly unfavorable to it. Mrs. Stone tells
how the leader of the missionary par
| ty, woman of cultivation and intel
| ligence, voiced the general feeling
when she said: 1.-THE mere fact of it's
being called a college for women is
| enough to condemn it We may be
sure that no refined Christian mother
| will send her daughter to Vassar Col
lege."
When a man in Saco, Maine, first