Evening star., 1924-01-20
Woman
Sufragt

=" Ol1oh =
1874, with delegates in
SuHTaSe. attendance from various
parts of the country. Susan B. Ar
thony presided. The Star carried
long reports of this meeting. which
continued for three days. In its issue
of January II, 1874 The Star in an
editorial summarized as follows the
situation respecting the prospect OF
the enfranchisement of the women
of the United States:
Miss Susan 3. Anthony, Mrs. Stan
ton and other leaders in the woman
suffrage movement who have just
held national convention in this
city, assert that they have no reason
to feel respondent at the prospect.
They say that interest in the move
ment is increasing yearly, and point
to many prominent persons as hav-
ing recently been converted to the
doctrine of equal suffrage. They as
Sert that they have many powerful
friends in both houses of Congress,
and that even the President of the
United States. while not pronounced
believer in the right of woman to
the ballot, has practically demon
Strated his belief in the necessity Cf
the enlargement of womans spherr
by appointing thousands of females
to offices, some of which are reSpoE-
Sible and important. In the Vice
President they have consistent sup
porter, and his presence in the con-
yention yesterday and his words ot
encouragement which he spoke are
evidence that he does not deem II
| inconsistent with the dignity of his
high office to express in becoming
| terms his conviction on any and ali
subjects which concern the welfare
of any large body of the American
people.
Gen. Butler in the House is an
other powerful ally, and is supported
in his views by quite a respectable
number of his colleagues. In the
Senate Mr.. Sargent is an outspoken
advocate of women's political equal
ity, and it was announced at the con
vention that MIR. Fenton is convert
to the same faith. Mr.. Sumner him
! self, it is asserted, is also in favor
of the enfranchisement of women
but for peculiar reasons of his own
must remain silent on the subject.
| On the whole, the supporters of the
cause. while in the minority, are
cminently respectable and influential.
| and it is not improbable to suppose
! that in time they will be sufficiently
| powerful to bring about the desired
| reform.
"Apropos to this subject, the New
York Evening Post. referring to :he
bill of Senator Logan relative to the
/
/ tains provisions for taking away the
| political and personal rights of Wom-
en-, and the revival of the common
! law of England; that under the com
mon law OF England woman was con-
sidered simply as the chattel of her
| husband If she was Industrious and
| thrifty, the fruits of her labor and
of her good management belonged to
! her husband She had no right to
! any part, and if he chose he had the
1np ms lsn f,n5
| ingenuity, skill, industry and fra
gality all minister to his laZinesS, his
vices or his avarice. The Post adds
! that the attempt to revive this odious
system of law in Utah territory by
express statute. to say the least, re-
quires explanation, and that the re
peal of the laws by which the women
of the territory now possess the right
to vote and to manage, under Ger
tain limitations, their own property.
may fairly lead to a difference of
opinion. IF all of the wives in Utah
invariably vote as their husbands de-,
and If the husbands continue to use
their political power for the r&inte-
nance of polygamy, then obviously
the proposed Withdrawal of political
rights. from the women of TITAN Is
both wise and decent. But this is
by no means certain. On the con-
trary, the same journal believes that
nothing would be more natural than
a system that thus defrauds and
hurts her; that she should examine it
in the light of her own sad and bit
ter experience. and that she should
use the political power which has
been given her for its utter uproot-
ing and overthrow"
An amusing incident marked the
close of the convention. Just before
declaring the meeting finally ad-
journed Miss Anthony called to the
platform an elderly woman who. she
+ said, wished to make an Announce
/ ment.' The speaker produced a large
! roll of manuscript and began reading
| interminably in low voice a eulogy
! of her late husband, to the great dis
comfture of the audience. Cries of
| protest did not affect her and she read
| on. Finally Miss Anthony, who was
| always mistress of any such difficult
! situation, summoned the song, leaders
| to her aid and called for the Dox-
| ology. which was sung with fervor.
' and the convention was pronounced
adjourned, leaving the elderly reader
completely submerged.