The evening times., 1900-02-08
THE WOMAN SUFfRAGISfS
A Large Attendance at the AsSocia,
tion's Opening Meeting.
The Session Presided Over by Miss
SuSan II. ARfhOny-Reports Read.
Addresses Made. and Committees
Appointed - The President Tells
of Her Long and Active Work.

I VI ChA dtlftl. tOl uci VI lnIi lStulu dllu
L streets northwest. The church was
fairly well filled with representative wom-
ca. and there were present about 400 dele
| gates. The platform upon which the Off
( GERS Of the association were seated in a
semi-circle with its venerable president,
Miss Susan B. Anthony, in the centre, was
decorated with flags and potted plants.
Miss Anthony, notwithstanding her age,
appears in very good health, and is con-
Quoting the meetings with her usual yigor
and promptness.
Rev. Anna Howard Shaw opened the ses-
sion with prayer. after which Miss Susan
b. Anthony made the opening address of
welcome. She gave a short sketch of her
connection with the association, as member
and as president She said that the Suf-
frage Association convenes in the Capital
of the Nation to advance their views and
advocate their purpose for the same resaon
that the Representatives of the different
States come to Washington to advance the
views of their constituents and gain for
them what their interest and welfare COM
mand.
After Miss Anthony's address OF welcome,
she called the convention TO order The
rol-call Of officers. vice presidents and
State members of the Executive Commit
tee. brought responses from nearly every
officer and delegate. The minutes Of the
closing session OF the Thirty-frst Annual
Convention were read and adopted Miss
Hatch was appointed as timekeepeT for the
day Mrs. Upton Luckie. and Mrs. Swift
were appointed a Committee on CTeden-
tials
The report Of the vice president at large,
Rev. Anna Howard Shaw, which treated
mainly of her work in the lecture field.
was well received by the association. ard
was loudly applauded, on account of the
highly interesting manner il viii she o.
fered her report.
The report. Of the corresponding secre-
tary. Rachel Foster Avery, was very en-
couiagng and highly satisfactory 10 TIE
association. and was adopted. Ii is in
point as follows:
with the object Of coming into touch
with the work in the different States ard
Of helping to bind the whole into a na-
tional cause, many letters are sent cut to
cur state presidents a majority Of whom
reply promptly and cordially. and thus en-
abel me TO be Of assistance by suggestion
as 10 their State work.
THE work since the Grand Rapids con-
vention in April and May has been the
editing CT the Annual Convention Minutes
CT 200 pages. the securing Of manuscripts
for the monthly leaflets of the Political
Equality Series, aggregating 360, coo pages
CT printed matter; the preparation of the
programmes for this convention for the
Congressional hearing to be held February
l3. and for the celebration February l. of
the eighteth anniversary OF our presidents
birthday"
The report Of the Committee on Federal
Suffrage was read by Martha A Rook. Of
Michigan. in the absence Of the chairman
Of the committee Sarah Clay Bennett. 1t
says in part:
That the committee petitioned the
members, Of the present Congress to pro-
tect white and black women equally with
black men against the statutes of the
States in the exercise of the right of citi-
zens of the United States to vote for mem
bers of Congress and Presidential electors
in the several States of the Union; which
right was exercised in New Jersey by both
women and black men upon equal terms
with the white men until 1907. when that
State made and enforced law which con-
fined the right of suffrage to men.
We entreated them to do this justice
to women by making Federal laws in puT-
suance of that clause of the first section
of the Fourteenth Amendment of our Ma
tional Constitution. which says No State
shall make or enforce any law which shall
abridge the privileges or immunities of
citizens of the United States "
4 vote of thanks was extended to her
for her very strong and exhaustive report
The next report brought before the cOnven-
tion was that of the Committee of Presi
dential Suffrage by Henry B. Blackwill
Chairman. who reviewed at length the
salutary effort which the women's vote
mas on the political situation in the re-
spective States This committee made a
recommendation that a special effort be
made next year to petition every State
Legislature to give women the privilege
to vote at the next Presidential election.
in the year 1904.
The report Of Clara Berwick Colby
Chairman of the Committee on Industrial
Problems Affecting Women and Children,
treated at great length the so-caled injus-
tice of the decision of the First Assistant
Postmaster General Perry S. Heath when
he announced that the department had de-
cided 1t Will be Incompatible with the |
best interests Of the service TO retain mar !
ried women as postofice clerks. The de- |
partment has, therefore ruled that when |
female postoffice clerk marries it will be |
necessary for her to resign from the serv- |
ice"
She said in part that discrimination |
against women in public service is unjust |
and cowardly, and very often it brings its !
own retribution upon innocent members of |
the guilty sex. for almost all women em- |
ployes are caring for male relatives; aged |
fathers. invalid husbands, or sons whom !
they are educating.
There has been a growing tendency OF !
late years to exclude women from Gov |
crnment offices. Ii was so noticeable un- |
der the first term Of Grover Cleveland that /
il was generally considered the policy of |
the Democratic party The ground was not |
wholly regained during the following Re- |
publican Administration, although the old !
liberal attitude toward women was felt
Under the second Administration of Mr.
Cleveland the tendency of exclusion be-
came more marked. and under the present |
Administration it has evidently become a
fixed purpose.
Less than 10 per cent of women who |
have passed the civil service examination
in the last ten years have received ap-
pointments. as against 26 per cent of men
who have passed and obtained positions.
The smallest per cent of women appointed |
was in the year just closing.
This is not saying anything about the
fact that women are excluded from ex-
amirations for certain very desirable |
fields. and that the women appointees are |
invariably for the lowest and least paid
positions There is not woman chief of
division in the whole service but con-
young and inexperienced men are
placed over room full of women who |
have grown gray in that particular line
Of work
1T is time that women took the alarm
and recognized the fact that this is not
matter of party prejudice. but of party