Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-03-08
A REPLY TO MISS BISSELL.
From Every Evening, March I'd.

From Every Evening, March I'd.
Editor Every Evening: In recent
issue Of your paper ] notice the paper
read before the House and Senate com
.mittee by Emily r. lsissell in onposi-
tiou to Woman Suffrage, in which she
says; .----. u. H.
1.-THE suffrage movement must be ,
against the opinions Of most OF our sex
since it has been pushed for 90 years
by so able woman and as popular
one as Miss Anthony and still remains
minority movement In these 5o
years every other woman's movement
really desired by women has succeeded.
The educational movement mot neces-
sarily the CO educationali is magnifi.
cent SUCCESS, and by the way, | may
mention here that the presidents OF four
of the most prominent colleges for
women are Anti-Suffragists. The move
| ment for property rights is SO success
| full 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 1863 occupations
over 800 have been conquered for our
| sex. %
This really makes me tired. wonder
| il 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 cast
ing ballot? The many privileges and
equitable laws which Miss Bissell
glories in calling attention to, have,
without exception, been brought about
by the persistent efforts of the woman
suffragists,
When they first commenced their
| Ii hut nv nf
occupation open to women whereby
they could earn dollar. There was
not college open to women or a pro
fession which they could enter. The
fact that it was proposed that woman
should preside at "a meeting or make n
speech, was suggestion so absurdly
funny that to mention such 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 advocates
, of Woman Suffrage. Sutfragists have
J demanded that colleges be opened; they
: have fought their way into the profess
! sions; they have gone to Legislatures
: and obtained the repeal of obnoxious
8 laws and the enactment of beneficial
: ones; they have published papers and
written articles; they have made
a speeches which have forced people to
g think and thus brought about change
i in public OPTION on the whole ques
d ton of woman's position, her rights
and her wrongs.
O 1t is matter of history with what
|. ridicule Mary Lyons first attempts TIC
J, secure the education of women were
d received, not only by the mass OF mer
], but by the mass of women as we'll. lr
10 England, when the Oxford examina
,r tions were thrown open to women, thu
Dean Of Chichester preached sermon
n against it in which he said:
i. "By the sex at large certainly tn,
le new curriculum is not asked for.
t. have ascertained by extended ipquii,
among gentlewomen that, with tru
j. feminine instinct, they either distrus
,e an innovation and interference with tn
il best traditions of their SEX"
D. Mrs. Lucinda II. Stone of Kalamazoo
B. Mich, who, with her husband. wa
he chiefly instrumental in opening Mich
gan Univels ity to women, went abroa
ng about that time in charge of travel
ling party of young women going t
visit the Holy Land. Among thei
in fellow passengers was a band OF ladie
going out as foreign missionaries
sw Vassar was the topic of conversation
and public opinion was strongly vi
favorable to it. Mrs. Stone tells no
the leader of the missionary party,
woman of cultivation and intelligence
voiced the general feeling when 81
"a said:
"The mere fact of its being called
college for women is enough to col
denim It. We may be sure that no r.
fined, Christian mother will ever ser
her daughter to Vassar College,"
~ When a man in Saco, Maine, fir
Y, employed saleswomaE, the "antis
.ne demonstrated earnestly with him on Il
re- sin of which he was guilty in placir
'o' a young women in position OF SUI
n publicity" When Lucy Stone soug
Ine to secure for married women the rig
a'e to their own property, tina "antis
:, asked with scorn: do you think
me would give myself where l would n
vi give my property"
III When Susan B. Anthony tramp
from door to door with petitions pra
i, ing the Legislature to enact laws viii
III. would enable woman to own proper
ant and to control the wages which s
ons earned, and would take from fathe
tho the power TO will away their childre
ion it was the "antis'' who slammed 7
,ow door in her face, telling her they h
anv all the rights they wanted.
nh, When Elizabeth Blackwell began
tho study medicine, the women at h
boarding house refused to speak to h
and when passing her on the stree
would hold their skirts aside so as
in avoid touching her, and would oft
me- greet her with insulting remarks.
ne In Easter countries where women
Wi shut up in zenanas and forbidden
I, ~. walk the streets unveiled, the won
~. themselves are the strongest uphold
80, of these traditional restrictions VIII!
9 tha they have been taught to think add
nv hS their dignity. The Chinese woman
WI as proud Of her small feet as
mon American ''anti" is of her politi
Inst disabilities.
the No great reform was ever asked
by the masses. The more progress
ones have seen the need and obtail
the change and the masses have Il
tees grown to the imp owed conditions,
the the reason why the ballot was not
mrs. tanned for woman long ago is beca
In our laws are such that we must &c
tber the masses in order to obtain the ri
The of suffrage.
cker In entering all THESE otner llne
and activity, all that was necessary wa:
Feb. find some woman who was brave emo
to Withstand the ridioule and some /
brave enough to employ her, or Sc
| ooIIaoa bravo anouph Tn omen its d.