Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-02-15

from Massachusetts, twelve delegates
In number; down to 4 few States
sending only one delegate, like The
States OF Washington, Oregon, Okla
homa and New Mexico. Our own
State of West Virginia, Is represent
ed by six delegates, Mrs. Beulah
Boyd Reitchie, president OF State
Suffrage Association, Mrs. Jessie Man
ley, of Fairmont, State Press Superin-
tendent; Mrs. G. A. Morgan, OF Fair
mont, Mrs. Fannie J.. Wheat, OF
wheeling. the member Of National
executive committee. Mrs Rebecca
Harden and Mrs. Annie Caldwell
Boyd, of Wheeling.
In all, over four hundred delegates
are present, filling the body OF the
church. They are seated in the pews,
marked off by banners, bearing the
names of the States which they repre-
sent. The larger delegation often fill
ing three of four pews.
On the platform sit the national Of
ficers, the beloved president, Susan B.
Anthony, now to celebrate her eigh-
tieth birthday Thursday next, Febru-
airy 18th, in the center OF the group.
The platform is decorated with beau
tiful plants and flowers, the latter re-
newed daily by friends of the cause
for which we hope and labor: back of
the platform is draped a very large
American flag, having on it's blue
ground only four large gold stars, as
this is the number of States In our
union in which women are politically
free, holding the same political rights
as the men of the States, they are
Idaho, Utah, Wyoming and Colorado.
Three sessions are generally held
each day Of the convention. The
morning and afternoon sessions are
devoted to business and the evening
one to speaking by the big guns and
most magnetic and eloquent of the
speakers among us. The sessions are
all free to the public and very well at
tended by outsiders, who sit the long
sessions through with failing
interest. At night the church is SO
crowded by the public that all the
outer rooms are thrown into the main
auditorium, chairs are put in the aisles
and space in front of the platform,
where possible, while many are turn
ed away as even standing Is oc-
cupied. So great Is the crowd OF out
side visitors at the night sessions that
the delegates have no place to stand
not mentioning sitting. Miss An
thony said that it was not right that
delegates who attended the convention
many Of whom came several thousand
miles to attend, should be crowded
out of the night meetings; SO in a
morning session she made a motion
that seats for the delegates should be
reserved for them at the night SEES
sion, which motion was voted on by
the convention and carried.
This thirty-second convention OF
the National Association is of unusual
interest to s~uffragists, as Miss An
thony positively refuses to serve as
president of the association any long
er, wishing now at her eightieth year
to see a younger woman elected to
fill her place and relieve her of the
work which she was the originator
of and so nobly and bravely pushed to
the proportions it has now assumed.
No words can express the depths
of love and gratitude the suffrage wo-
men feel for Miss Anthony, and though
they deeply deplore her determination
to refuse to serve as u leader long
er. yet her wishes and requests are a
law to us, and a new president for the
association will be elected on Tues
day, February 18th, in the afternoon
session.
A great effort is being made by
many New York ome to have a
New York woman, Mrs. Lille Devor-
an Blake, elected, as the next presi-
dent. They have had leaflets print
ed, stating Mrs. Blacks fitness for the
office and her services for the cause
and for women everywhere distribut-
ed among the delegates. Mrs. Carrie
Chapman Gait is n of the ablest
women and workers that the suffera-
gist possesses, she is very greatly be-
loved and admired among us and she
looms up as likely the most desirable,
and the successful candidate. Rev.
Anna Shaw has no peer for intellect
in this country or any other. She is
the Thomas B. Reed OF the suffrage
movement, and the logical successor
OF Miss Anthony to whom she has
been the right hand in the work for
many years. But / hear that she can
not afford to accept the position; she
is a poor woman with her living to
make and strange to relate the Of
ficers of our association work and
always have done SO without one cent
of remuneration. To the cause they
give time, money, health, youth and
all men or women, could give that they
and the women of this country may
have justice, equality before the laws
as men have in our SO called free re-
public.