Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-10-22
BIRTH OF WOMAN
SUFFRAGE MOVE
65 YEARS AGO
ANNIVERSARY Is OBSERVED BY SUF-
FRAGE LEADERS IN NEW ENG
LAND AND NORTHEAST.
FIRST WOMAN'S RIGHTS MEETING
OPENED OCTOBER 10 At WOR-
CESTER; LASTED a DAYS.

Worcester. Mass. Oct. @-Tbe Goth
ANNIVERSARY Of the first organized wv-
mans rights convention ever held i'm the
tnIted states is being observed here By
suffragist leaders from New England
and other states. The birth of the suf-
irase me, cmcnt also registered the bir,h
10 the Ants" for on that occasion,
many prominent women refused 10 he
present or To have their anne connected
IN an, VA, with the issue. Some Of the
.,rs of 1850 were curt and %reproa,h
full. but in the early days of the move
.hcnt for woman suffrage the issue y
laughed at and the opponents did not
organize.
The first womans rights convention
opened here on Oct. ~, 1850 and lasted
until the 9th. Among the speakers were
men and women prominent in American
history. Catherine NJ. Sedgcwick, Will
liam Ellcry Claiming, Elizabeth Cady
stanton, Wendell Phillips. John Green
leaf Whittier, Ralph Waldo Emerson,
Bronson .Alrott and many other leaders
Of that generation expressed deep in
crest in the movement and most Of them
'o"k part in the convention proceedings.
Ii Is interesting to note that among
the papers read addresses given were
pleas for freedom for womcn 10 attend
colleges and universities. to learn trades
to enter into professions and into bust
ness where are now taken ~ "A matter of
course. Pioneer women in these lines who
spoke were Mrs. Sarah Tyndale of Phil
idclphia. the most prominent business
woman Of her day: Antoincttc H.. Brown.
4 young minister: Dir. Harriet X. Hunt.
ne first woman physicion in Massa
sets and Lucy Stone. who helped to open
collcg doors 10 women.
Eleven states were represented IN this
first suffrage convention. They were:
Maine. New Hampshire. Vermont. Mas
S;,.hnsctts, Rhode Island, Connecticut.
New York. Pennsylvania. Ohio. Iowa
and California. Mrs. Paulina Wright
Davis was chairman. Wendell Phillips
was appointed treasurer and Mrs. Sarah
II. Earle. secretary. 4 central committee
which form is still in evidence in the
national organization. was appointed.
on which there were representatives from
each state.
William LLOYD Harrison wrote "a the
convention as follows: Il doubt whether
u more important movement has cver
been launched touching the destiny of
the race than this in regard 10 the quail
ity of the sexes"
Notwithstanding the incxpcriencc Of
the women in organization work and
conducting meetings. the sessions were
aw. An explanation Of the purposes ~
the convention was read and resolutions
were passed which stated that women
are clearly entitled t. the right Of suf-
fragc and at bc considered eligible (.
office" The resolution declared that cv.
cry party that claimed Ito represent hu
manitv. civilization and progress was
bound tn ratifv tho watrhword 'Fqmality
before the law. without distinction 10
sex or color /"
As u result II the first convention
John Stuart Mill was converted ~ equal
suffrage and MANY other men and women
prominent in that ,1av were dccplv i'm
pressed by the carncsincss and force Of
the claims Of the equal rights convention