The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-05-14
THE WOMEN'S
 RIGHTS QUESTION
(Fifty Years Ago)

The published reports of the Equal Rights of Convention" which has been in session in New York and Brooklyn. indicate anything but conspicuous as leaders in the Con- vention. The reports state that about eight hundred persons, mostly wom- en, were in attendance, and that their deliberations were nominaIly directed by the ''war-horse'' among women, Mrs. Elizabeth Cady Stan ton.
 The discussions, which were con- ducted with much violence, both of language and manner, were ram bling and disjointed and embraced almost every conceivable topic.
 First, Miss Susan B. Anthony op- ened the ball with an extended de- fence of Geo. Francis Train, which was interrupted by a man with map in his hand, who begun vio- lent harangue on the womens rights question. Amid misses and cries of order he had to resume his seat Then Fred. Douglas introduced resoIu- tions in favor of amending the Con l striking out the word white where ever it occurs, which were tabled to the great disgust of the aforesaid ] Douglas.
 The discussion then went off on universal suffrage. Mary Livermore Lucy Stone, and Mrs. Hannah Ford wanted the world to understand be- yond a doubt that the women are for | II JI@+ any and every phrase. Ernestine Rose opposed bringing up the subject of free love. She hurled back in the | teeth of the utterers the assertion | that she was a free lover, and on behalf of her fellow laborers she would also say they were not thieves, burglars or prostitutes. Susan B. Anthony spoke in a similar strain, | favoring tho insertion of a, plank in the platform respecting the antaEon- ism of capital and labor, but q point ! of order was raised on Susan and | she subsided.
 Mrs D. Batchelder, of Boston, rose and shook a roll of resolutions men acingly in her hand, shriel1ing that | she had the floor and not only in | tended to keep it against any woman, but also to teach the audience a, les son in good manners. She intended to have her say out The tumult was now indescribabIe, but order was finally restored through the efforts | of Mrs. Stanton. C.. c. Burleigh, as sisted by Mrs. Ldvermore, objected tu the resolutions as out of order, and another scene of excitement and confusion ensued, during which a 1 Mrs. Vernon attempted to read a l pamphlet on celestial kites, 0y which ! the elect could reach-a better sphere, and made a speech on the public ] debt, women suffrage and female la bor. Each speaker was cheered and
 missed in turn.
 The disored finally became so great l that Mrs. Stanton was compelled tc
 execute a flank movement, which
 she did by declaring the meeting ad-
 journed- The declaration was unheed-
 ed. She then asked the audience to
 leave the hall, but that request was
 not heard, or if heard no attention YVES paid to it. The acrimonious gab- | ble was incessant and it was only ar | teE a long and discouragtng session
 in which nothing was accomplished
 that these reforming" women could
 be induced to permit an adjournment
 for the day. Such scenes in public
 taken in connection with the bolster
 ousness of such opponents or the re-
 form movement as Dr. Mary B. Wal
 ker and Mrs. Dr. Hasbrouck, are no' Ecalculated to, enlist the sympathies
 of true women in behalf of the '.glor lions caIlse