Sunday Washington globe., 1902-02-16

inflicted by am infamous law for having
spoken a few plain words and well deserved
to a white skinned 50 called gentleman who
had her thus publicly whipped God save
the markW From that day to the end Of
useful and busy life Francis Miller was the
true and trusted adviser of that race, and
stood squarelY by his sidel
But to the point. / read last October in
large type.head lines these words "The
greatest mistake of the Nineteenth Cen.
, tury-giving the negro the votew They
may have been part of a campaign docu-
ment, the paper not being in the least re-
spousible for them, but have thought often
Of these words since and have poudered
sorrowfnlly over them in this wise II may
not have been me greatest mistake of the
Nineteenth Century, giving the negro the
vote-fOr the mistakes were doubtless many
of that vanished hundred years, and his
may not have been the most serious, but it
surely was a great mistake 10 put the ballot
into the hands of a race which was then
we must all admit--in the very infancy Of
its development, large portion of il in fact,
only at the beginning of a true civilization.
slavery having proved an iyon-cage in which
progress was impossible l repeat that Il
was surely grave mistake, thus to extend
the franchise before ii had been given to
the enlightened, cultured aud refined
wODssR of the land The wise, practical,
intelligent mothers, wives and daughters Of
this country.
And believe as fully as / do in my ex-
istenee that in the present mental status of
that people, this lifting of all their men
into a position under the law higher, more
powerful, ,'more influential than of that all
lV0meH, has proportionately and inevitably
i09Deyea al women, deggaded them, so to
speak. in their eyes.
In conclusion, would say 10 any or all
in this audience whose hearts may beat
with a single throb of sympathy towards
this great question of equal rights Of men
and women before the law, that we, the
pioneers, beg of You this night to endeavor
earnestly to study this subject in its true
light, the light Of simple justice light
which has not only glowed, but which has
burned with consuming heat in the breastsh
of some Of us for well nigh half a century
and to the difiusing Of which we have given
ungrudgingly the very best that in us lies
We beseech of you, the young and the mid
dle-aged, to snatch up the torches that we
must soon abandon, to grasp the colors that
must soon droop and fall from our hands
and bear them onward to that new and
glorious era-that promised land that we
are only permitted to see afar of, the era of
true Hbeyiy and equality, the only sure and
safe foundation for a Republic, and which
to exist at all mNst exist together, "Oue
and inseparable."
Henry B. Blackwell another speaker at
the pioneers meeting, isa notable man in
more than one sense. He is not only the
htnc chastd 9F 81, Z
from early manhood has been an uucom-
prising worker in behalf of woman suf-
frage. For thirty years he>has been editor
Of the WONaH's Journal, which has cir
culation extending all over the United
States and into foreign countries as we'll
He was married to Lucy Stone in 1855
They we're obliged to send thirty miles for
a minister who would marry them without
using the word obey" AT the time Of
their marriage they issued Joint protest
against the inequalities of the law which
gave the husband the control Of his wifes
property, person and children. He has
spoken in nearly every city in the United
States Their whole married life was an
ideal one in every respect. Lucy Stone died
in 1893 but her husband has continued his
work for woman suffrage just the same
They have one daughter Alice Stone
blackwell, who has been recording secretary
for the National Suffrage Association for
many years.
Rev, Olympia Brown, of Racine, Wis,
was the FIRST woman in the United States to
be ordained by a regularly constituted
ecclesiastical body. She was ordained in
Malone, N. Y, in June 1868, by vote of the
ordaining council of the Universalst
Church She has served as pastor in many
places, and 1t is noticeable fact that new
life is enthused in the church wherever she
goes. She is absolutely fearless in defend.
ing whatever appeals to her as right, and
this Characteristic has often given people
the impression that she is aggressive. In
April 1873, she married John Henry Willis,
a business man in sympathy with her ideas,
and by mutual agreement and with his full
consent she retained her maiden name
which her efforts has made historic
Mrs. Brown has been for many years
president of the Wisconsin Woman Suf-
frage Association.
ROsALIE GoULDING.