The Olivia Letters: Being Some History of Washington City for Forty Years as Told by the Letters of a Newspaper CorrespondentBriggs, Emily Edson
History
The Olivia Letters: Being Some History of Washington City for Forty Years as Told by the Letters of a Newspaper Correspondent
Briggs, Emily Edson
United States -- Politics and government -- 1865-1933; Washington (D.C.) -- History
Senator Pomeroy, the only man from Congress in the hall, followed
with a few appropriate remarks. But considering that Mrs. Pomeroy
was at home, and did not countenance the meeting with her presence,
it looked something like those electioneering dodges which the best
of politicians sometimes indulge in. Senator Pomeroy said he was no
new convert to the “theme.” The Scotch parson advises young people
never to talk about “themes,” but as Senator Pomeroy is no longer
young, the advice of the parson cannot be meant for him. The Senator
said he would not compel a woman to vote; he would simply remove the
impediments in the way. He talked about “the mountains near where God
dwells.” He said he had been waiting two months for petitions to be
sent in. Mrs. Stanton interrupted him and said she had brought them.
He said he was for carrying woman suffrage into the fundamental laws
of the land. He would let a Chinese vote, only a Chinese could not be
naturalized, and therefore could not vote. If a woman was convicted
of crime, she must die. A woman had once been hung in Washington.
This is the new year for the rallying question. He only hoped this
convention would be a triumphant success.
Susan B. Anthony then came forward and attempted to read a letter
from a Jersey “Honorable,” but the writing was so poor that she could
not. Then she explained what the man meant, but by what process is
known only to Susan herself.
Mrs. Cady Stanton came forward and said if the Republican party did
not come forth and champion the cause, the Democrats would, and
therefore infuse a new life into their decaying body. She also
instanced a case where a Democrat had paid the fare of all the ladies
in the omnibus that morning coming from the depot to the hotel.
The beautiful prayer delivered at the opening of the session by the
Rev. Mr. May, from Syracuse, was worthy of a better cause. The few
remarks which followed by the same man were more creditable to his
heart than head; but he was sincere and honest, and one could not
help but wish that more men like him could be found in the world.
The audience was made up mostly of women, but not the curled, dainty
fashionables of the capital. Sad-faced, sorrowful women were there. A
poor woman touched your correspondent on the arm, and asked if they
“got places for women to work here.” Queenly Mrs. Davis was reading,
regal in diamonds and point lace. The woman added, pointing to the
speaker, “Do you think she can help me?”
OLIVIA.
ELIZABETH CADY STANTON.
HOW SHE ENGINEERS THE SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT.
WASHINGTON, _January 19, 1870_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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