Evening star., 1936-07-19
SCRAP BOOKS TELL
OF SUFFRAGE RISE
First Woman's Rights Con.
Vention Was Held SO
Years Ago Today
By the Associated Press.

WI ~ SNSS
BY the Associated Press.
The women's rights movement, VIC
torious so far as the vote Is concerned,
but still hammering away at the inner
citadels Of politics, is SO years old
today.
In a quaint age-suggestive Of Law
ender and lace, shoulder shawls and
velvet bonnets-the Seneca Falls. N.
Y. women's rights convention was
held July 10 and 20, ls4s.
From the concise. miniature-sized
pamphlet the convention caused to
be published. it Is evident that the
f1ve women who called 1t could greet
this year, when women at last par
ticipated in formulating both party
platforms, with . calm I'VE told you
so.''
Susan B. Anthony saved that PAM
phlet for posterity. In the "a scrap
books of suffrage source material be-
queathed by Miss Anthony to the Ii
brary Of Congress, and now cherished
in the rare book room. she placed 1t
first, both in position and by under
scored notation.
The tiny little pamphlet report Of
the first women's rights convention
ever held in all the world" was Su-
sans introduction of it.
Convention Spirits Listed.
And on its cover she had written:
"This was given me by Martha c..
Wright, Auburn. N Y, who. with
Lucretia Mott. Elizabeth Cady STAN
ton, Mary Ann McClintoch and Jane
Hunt, called the convention"
Their agenda was: ITO discuss the
social, civil and religious condition Of
women" Their report was: This
question was discussed through two
entire days. the first day by women
exclusively, the second day men par
ticipated."
Two principal pronouncements came
from their deliberations-'The Reso-
lutions." predicated on a single pre-
cept with II specific resolved
clauses, and THE Declaration of Sem
timents." pointedly patterned after
that other great July document. the
Declaration of Independence.
The suffrage pioneers got down to
fundamentals in the first paragraph
of their resolutions: The great pre-
cept of nature is conceded to be that
man shall pursue his own true and
substantial happiness, and from that
the women resolved, That such laws
ss conflict in any way with the true.
substantial happiness of women are
Aontrary to the great precept OF ma
ure and of no validity"
Some Choice Resolves.
Some of the choicest phrases of
Elizabeth Ca0y Stanton's speech to
the convention, saved by SusEn An
hony in another of her scrapbooks,
we're worked into the rest of the Re
Eolveds" Some of them:
That woman is mans equal-was
Intended to be so by the Creator, and
he highest good of the race demands
he should be recognized as such.'
That the women of this country
ueht to be enlightened in regard to
he laws under which they live, that
hey may no longer publish their deg
adiation, BY declaring themselves
htisfied with their present position
or their ignorance. by asserting they
ave all the rights they want
That the same amount OF virtue,
elicacy and refinement of behavior
hat is required of woman in the social
tate should be required of man. and
he same transgressions should be 1s-
ted with equal severity on ooth men
Ind women"
THAT the objection OF indellcacy
md inpropristy which is so often
brought against woman when she
addresses a public audience comes
with very ill grace from those who
encourage by their attendance ner
eppearsnce on the stage. in the con-
cert. or in the feats of the circus
Declaration of Sentiments.
The girls got down to grievances IN
their declaration OF sentiments
which swung of with, I'VE hold these
f-uths to be self-evident: That all men
and women are created equal;
Among 10 indictments they brought
against man in his attitude toward
women were:
|He has never permitted her to ex-
ercise her inalienable right to the
elective franchise"
HE has compelled her to submit 10
laws in the formation of which she
had no voice.
He has made her, If married. In
the eyes of the law, civilly dead.
"He has t-ken from her all rights
Of property, even to the wages she
earns"
He has monopolized nearly all the
profitable employments. and from
those she is permitted to follow. she
receives but scanty remuneration.
Finished with principles, the SUI
sraee pioneers turned to prophecy:
"Firmly relying on the final tri-
umph of the right and true, We this
d,y affix our signature" The docu-
ment was signed by So women, 81
men.
seventy-two years Of tracts, petit
tions and conventions brought the
change in the Constitution which gave
all women the vote.
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