The History of Woman Suffrage Volume II Part 108

THE FIRST ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN WOMAN SUFFRAGE a.s.sOCIATION was held in Cleveland, Ohio, Nov. 22 and 23, 1870.

Col. T. W. HIGGINSON, first Vice-President, called the meeting to order, and addressed the audience substantially as follows:

REMARKS OF COLONEL HIGGINSON.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: I heartily congratulate you that you are again called together in this goodly city of Cleveland.

We stand to-day at the cradle of the a.s.sociation, a child one year old, to celebrate its first birthday. There is nothing in the record of the past year that we have to blush for, or that we have to undo. If our work has been limited in its success, it has been because we have been limited in means. If we have not transformed the entire world it has been because the world has not poured its money into our coffers. But the great fact remains, as much as if we had accomplished a work ten times as large, that we have a great central organization, to which ten States have given a cordial and hearty support. Congress at Was.h.i.+ngton is but a small body. The amount it annually does and spends is nothing to that done and spent by the State governments. It is the keystone of our great national arch, the string upon which all State governments are strung. And so this a.s.sociation is the keystone upon which all the auxiliary State organizations depend.

We meet here to-day, in a delegate meeting, for full and free discussion; none are proscribed, none prescribed. If there is anything new to be done, now is the time to do it; if anything wrong was done last year, now is the time to rectify it. This is the great, golden opportunity of this a.s.sociation. It is especial cause for rejoicing that it is organized for a specific purpose, to secure the ballot to women, everything else being held for the time in abeyance. Early in the movement in behalf of women the broad platform of "woman's rights" was adopted. This was all proper and right then, but the progress of reform has developed the fact that suffrage for woman is the great key that will unlock to her the doors of social and political equality. This should be the first point of concentrated attack. Suffrage is not the only object, but it is the first, to be attained. When we gave our a.s.sociation that name we escaped a vast deal of discussion and argument, for its object can not be misunderstood.

But after that is gained there will be worlds yet to conquer. If the conservatives think that because it is called the Woman Suffrage a.s.sociation it has no further object, they are greatly mistaken. Its purpose and aim are to equalize the s.e.xes in all the relations of life; to reduce the inequalities that now exist in matters of education, in social life and in the professions--to make them equal in all respects, before the law, society, and the world. With this burden upon our shoulders we can not carry all the other ills of the world in addition, we must take one thing at a time. Suffrage for woman gained, and all else will speedily follow.

H. B. Blackwell, Chairman of the Committee on Credentials, presented the report of delegates present.[188]

On motion of Mrs. Dr. Ferguson, seconded by Judge Bradwell, each delegation was authorized to cast the full vote of the State it represents. The number of votes to which each State was ent.i.tled was declared to be that of its Congressional representation.

Mrs. LUCY STONE, Chairman of the Executive Committee, read the

REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.

_Annual Report of the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the American Woman Suffrage a.s.sociation:_

The American Woman Suffrage a.s.sociation was formed in this city one year ago under the most favorable auspices. Its one great object is to secure the ballot for woman. Through the power this will give, she may take her true place, free to use every gift and faculty she possesses, subject only to the law of benevolence. This organization has been vastly influential in securing public sympathy and respect for our ideas. The very names of its officers gave confidence, and through their confidence the cause has received large accessions of strength. We have already nine auxiliary State societies. Each of these has held conventions. Some have employed lecturers, some have organized county and local societies. All have circulated tracts and pet.i.tions. Ohio, Indiana, and Ma.s.sachusetts have been especially abundant in labor. Ohio has thirty-one local societies, Indiana twenty-five, and Ma.s.sachusetts five. These States have had a force of excellent speakers in the field, who, with rare self-forgetting, have worked as only those can who work with whole-hearted faith for immortal principles.

Under the auspices of this a.s.sociation, a canva.s.s was made in the State of Vermont. The sole reason which induced the Executive Committee to undertake this special work was that the Council of Censors had submitted a proposition that "henceforth women may vote, and with no other restrictions than are prescribed for men." A Vermont State Woman Suffrage a.s.sociation was organized, auxiliary to the American Society.

The speech of Mr. Curtis at our May ma.s.s meeting, so admirable in style and substance we have published in a tract ent.i.tled "Fair Play for Women." Thousands of copies have been sent to all parts of the United States. It is doing its silent work by quiet firesides, where hard-working men and women, who can never attend a convention, can find time to read. We have published seven tracts, which had previously been sold at $5.00 a hundred, at the actual cost of $2.00 per hundred, and keep them constantly for sale at these low prices. They have been scattered broadcast, and the good seed thus sown will bear fruit in due season.

There has been steady progress in our ideas during the whole year. The _Woman's Journal_, established last January, and since consolidated with the _Woman's Advocate_, of Ohio, is constantly increasing its circulation, more than a thousand new subscribers having been added within a single month.

One of the most significant signs of progress is found in the recent action of the Republican party in Ma.s.sachusetts.

Their State Convention unanimously admitted Mary A.

Livermore and Lucy Stone, who were regularly accredited delegates from the towns of Melrose and West Brookfield. A resolution in favor of making woman suffrage part of the platform was reported by the Committee on Resolutions. A change of only 29 votes out of 331 would have made woman suffrage this year a part of the Republican platform of Ma.s.sachusetts. Thus women have been admitted to represent men in a political State Convention. The next step will be that women will represent themselves.

With all these cheering indications, we have only to keep our question of woman's right to the ballot clear and unmixed with other issues, and the growing public sympathy will soon carry our cause to a successful issue.

Judge Bradwell, of Chicago, presented the following letter to the Chair, which was read to the a.s.sociation:

_To the American Woman Suffrage a.s.sociation;_

FRIENDS AND CO-WORKERS: We, the undersigned, a committee appointed by the Union Woman Suffrage Society in New York, May, 1870, to confer with you on the subject of merging the two organizations into one, respectfully announce:

1st. That in our judgment no difference exists between the objects and methods of the two societies, nor any good reason for keeping them apart.

2d. That the society we represent has invested us with full power to arrange with you a union of both under a single const.i.tution and executive.

3d. That we ask you to appoint a committee of equal number and authority with our own, to consummate if possible this happy result.

Yours, in the common cause of woman's enfranchis.e.m.e.nt,

LAURA CURTIS BULLARD, ISABELLA BEECHER HOOKER, GERRIT SMITH, SAMUEL J. MAY, SARAH PUGH, CHARLOTTE E. WILBOUR, FREDERICK DOUGLa.s.s, JOSEPHINE S. GRIFFING, MATTIE GRIFFITH BROWN, THEODORE TILTON, _ex officio_.

JAMES W. STILLMAN,

Judge BRADWELL made a few remarks on the subject of the letter, advocating the union of the two organizations, and proposing the following resolution:

_Whereas_, In Article II. of the Const.i.tution of the American Woman Suffrage a.s.sociation it is stated, "Its object shall be to concentrate the efforts of all the advocates of woman suffrage in the United States," and whereas the Union Woman Suffrage a.s.sociation, of which Theodore Tilton is President, has appointed a committee of eleven persons with full power to agree upon a basis for the union of the two national a.s.sociations, now, therefore, be it

_Resolved_, That the convention for the purpose of carrying out the object of said a.s.sociation, as expressed in said Article II., and concentrating the efforts of all the friends of woman suffrage throughout the Union for national purposes, do hereby appoint.... who, with the eleven persons heretofore appointed by said Woman Suffrage Society, shall compose a joint committee with full power to form a union of the American Woman Suffrage a.s.sociation and the Union Woman Suffrage Society under one const.i.tution and one set of officers. It is further provided, after notice to all, that a majority of said joint committee shall have power to act.

The above was referred to the Committee on Resolutions.

At the afternoon session Vice-President Higginson invited the Vice-Presidents of the a.s.sociations of different States to seats upon the platform.

Mrs. LUCY STONE was introduced, and gave an interesting account of the course pursued by her and Mrs. Livermore in a Ma.s.sachusetts convention. Here the two ladies were received as delegates, took their places among the regular delegates of the convention, and voted with them. After that they urged their lady friends to attend the ward meetings. The women of Ma.s.sachusetts, she said, paid taxes on $100,000,000 of property, the women of Boston on $40,000,000. She thought it good policy to work inside the parties.

Mrs. Dr. FERGUSON, of Indiana, thought it necessary to begin by sowing the seeds of the doctrine. Meetings had been held in different parts of the State. One was held on the sidewalk, was well attended, and was followed by a large meeting. Soon after, conventions were held, and though many women were afraid to take hold of the subject, others advocated it with full force. We have organized fourteen local societies. Some of these are sending out their lecturers.

Col. T. W. HIGGINSON reported that the Rhode Island Society was endeavoring to obtain the appointment of women as superintendents of reform inst.i.tutions. We should have matrons in all the prisons where women are confined. I would therefore urge upon all women in their respective cities to labor in this direction. Men will vote for placing women upon all these boards.

Judge BRADWELL, of Chicago, made a short report on the condition of the suffrage party in his State.

Dr. CHILD, of Pennsylvania, said: The suggestions of our President are very important. Woman should have a position by the side of man in all public inst.i.tutions. I am happy to say that in the city of Philadelphia, founded by William Penn, and to a considerable extent still under the influence of Friends, women do partic.i.p.ate largely in our benevolent inst.i.tutions and prisons. Our State organization was formed on the 22d of December last, and is auxiliary to the American a.s.sociation. Our princ.i.p.al labor has been to increase the circulation of the _Woman's Journal_ and circulate tracts.

Rev. OSCAR CLUTE, of New Jersey, thought that his State had done more for the cause of woman suffrage than many others. Mary F.

Davis and others had resided there.

Mrs. M. V. LONGLEY reported that in Ohio desirable progress was manifested, and that if the coming year was as successful as the past the cause would progress well. Societies, some thirty-two in number, had been organized, and everywhere the work went on well.

Mr. HENRY B. BLACKWELL made a report for New Hamps.h.i.+re, where he was a.s.sured by Mrs. White and Pipher, now present, that the cause had never been so strong before.

Owing to the exceedingly inclement weather, the attendance upon the evening session of the Convention was light.

All the States represented having reported except Missouri, Mrs.

Hazard, one of the delegates from that State, spoke briefly, showing that the movement is making satisfactory advance.

Judge WHITEHEAD, New Jersey, regarded the woman suffrage question as the most important topic before the American people. The only question to be asked in connection with this movement is, is it right, is it just?--not, is it expedient? With regard to the legal and const.i.tutional conditions of this question, he said that he believed that women had a right to vote without any change in the organic law of the Nation. The speaker proceeded to discuss this question at some length, with the purpose of demonstrating that in virtue of the principle and practice of the Government of the United States in securing the ballot to men, the right to vote equally belonged to women. The speaker continued at length in advocacy of the ballot for woman as a necessity for securing her rights and remedying her wrongs.

The PRESIDENT, with some prefatory remarks, introduced Miss Rice, of Antioch College. Miss Rice announced as the theme of her address, "Woman's Work," and said that the work proper for woman is whatever she has the ability and opportunity to do. Miss Rice embraced in the discussion of her topic, considerations as to the duty of parents in rearing and teaching their children, demanding that the same principle under which boys were reared should be applied to girls, and the duty of society, which must recognize the necessity of women being instructed and taught in all that man has access to. She deprecated as one of the worst evils of our civilization that men and women were being all the time more widely separated. They must be brought nearer together.

Mrs. M. M. COLE said: That we are still so far from enfranchis.e.m.e.nt is mainly the fault of women themselves. Home talks, not Mrs. Caudle's fault-finding lectures, will do more toward convincing men of the righteousness of their demand, than all the public harangues to which they can listen. Comparatively speaking, there are few men who do not listen and heed the counsels of a good wife, few who will not yield a willing or reluctant a.s.sent to her requests. For every exception, there may be found a wife who has never given evidence of candid, far-reaching thought; and when a man is in possession of such a one, he is not to be censured for wis.h.i.+ng to keep the reins in his own hand.

When all women ask for the ballot, they shall have it, say many politicians. In all probability, the wives of these men have never asked it--indeed, they may have refused outright to use it, if granted. And so, blind to the interests of all, deaf to the entreaties of many, they refuse the request, making, in fact, their wives the arbiter of all women. That is not statesmans.h.i.+p, but partisans.h.i.+p, and a partisan is not one likely to comprehend a question in its broadest meaning. Husbands and wives who are not as far apart as the poles, are apt to think alike on all questions except religion and temperance, perhaps I ought to add finance. Social problems they solve by the same rule, public officers they weigh in the same balance, party measures criticise and p.r.o.nounce wise or unwise with the same verdict. I know of a few advocates of woman suffrage whose husbands, fathers, brothers, or some one dearer, do not directly or indirectly aid them. So far from alienating the married pair, so far from creating domestic disturbance, the discussion of this question has called into activity faculties men never dreamed woman possessed. She has shown more fixedness of purpose, sagacity, and sound judgment, than have ever been attributed to her. Excepting the religion of Christ, which first broke the chains binding woman to a mere animal existence, and sent gleams of love and hope through the darkness in which she groped, there has been nothing which has given such an impetus to her life as the present one, set in motion by her demand for freedom. Never before in the history of the human race, have women stood so high in the estimation of men as they stand to-day.

There is but one answer to give to woman-wors.h.i.+pers, and that is, Take away all responsibility from me, s.h.i.+eld me from the terrors of war, intemperance and licentiousness, and be my vicarious sacrifice in the world to come, and I'll be the thing you would have me--the echo--the reflection--the soulless divinity.

Is this an extreme view? What! can there be an extreme view, when one is considering individual freedom? Set bounds to the political, social, or religious liberty of a man, and what figures of speech would he employ? The advocates of the XV.

Amendment put words into our mouths, and they must answer for them if they seem too extravagant. There is nothing under the sun that will so arouse man or woman as the fact that another, as needy, as finite as himself, sets stakes in the path of his progress, and says, "Thus far shalt thou go, and no farther." It is this a.s.sumption of men, most grievous to be borne, that has compelled woman to ask that the stakes be removed, and she be permitted to go where she wills to go.