The History of Woman Suffrage Volume III Part 45

FOOTNOTES:

[104] For details of early history see vol. I., chap. viii. See also "Ma.s.sachusetts in the Woman Suffrage Movement," Roberts Bros., Boston.

[105] As an original question, no friend of woman suffrage can deny that it was a mean thing to put the word "male" into the fourteenth amendment. It was, doubtless, wise to adopt that amendment. It was an extension of the right of suffrage, and so far in the line of American progress, yet it was also an implied denial of the suffrage to women.--[Warrington in the _Springfield Republican_.

[106] See Vol. II., page 178.

[107] John Neal came from Maine; Nathaniel and Armenia White from New Hampshire; Isabella Hooker from Connecticut; Thomas W.

Higginson from Rhode Island; and John G. Whittier, Samuel May, jr., Gilbert Haven, John T. Sargent, Frank W. Bird, Wendell Phillips, William Lloyd Garrison, William S. Robinson, Stephen and Abby Kelley Foster, with a host of others, from Ma.s.sachusetts. Lucy Stone and Henry B. Blackwell, who then lived in New Jersey, were also among the speakers.

[108] In giving an account of her efforts in this direction she says: "After my return from Kansas in 1867, I felt that we ought to do something for the cause in Ma.s.sachusetts. There was at that time no organization in the State, and there had been no revival of the subject in the minds of the people since the war, which had swallowed up every other interest. In the spring of 1868, I wrote to Abby Kelley Foster, telling her my wish to have something done in our own State, and she advised me to call together a few persons known to be in favor of suffrage, some day during anniversary week, in some parlor in Boston. I corresponded with Adin Ballou, E. D.

Draper, and others, on the subject, and talked the matter over with Prof. T. T. Leonard, teacher of elocution, who offered his hall for a place of meeting. I wrote a notice inviting all persons interested in woman suffrage to come to Mr. Leonard's hall, on a certain day and hour. At the time appointed the hall was full of people. I opened the meeting, and stated why I had called it; others took up the theme, and we had a lively meeting. All agreed that something should be done, and a committee of seven was appointed to call a convention for the purpose of organizing a woman suffrage a.s.sociation. Caroline M. Severance, Stephen S.

Foster, Sarah Southwick and myself, were of this committee. We held a number of meetings and finally decided to call a convention early in the autumn of 1868. This convention was held in Horticultural Hall, and the result was the organization of the New England Woman Suffrage a.s.sociation."

[109] _President_, Julia Ward Howe; _Vice-presidents_, William Lloyd Garrison, Boston; Paulina W. Davis, Providence, R. I.; James Freeman Clarke, Boston; Sarah Shaw Russell, Boston; Neil Dow, Me.; Lucy G.o.ddard, Boston; Samuel E. Sewall, Melrose; Lidian Emerson, Concord; John Hooker, Isabella Beecher Hooker, Hartford, Ct.; Harriot K. Hunt, Boston; James Hutchinson, jr., West Randolph, Vt.; Armenia S. White, Concord, N. H.; Louisa M. Alcott, Concord; L.

Maria Child, Wayland; John Weiss, Watertown. _Corresponding Secretary_, Sara Clark, Boston. _Recording Secretary_, Charles K.

Whipple, Boston. _Treasurer_, E. D. Draper, Boston. _Executive Committee_: Lucy Stone, Newark, N. J.; T. W. Higginson, Newport, R.

I.; Caroline M. Severance, West Newton; Francis W. Bird, East Walpole; Mary E. Sargent, Boston; Nathaniel White, Concord, N. H.; Richard P. Hallowell, Boston; Stephen S. Foster, Worcester; Sarah H. Southwick, Grantville; Rowland Connor, Boston; B. F. Bowles, Cambridge; George H. Vibbert, Rockport; Olympia Brown, Weymouth; Samuel May, jr., Leicester; Nina Moore, Hyde Park.

[110] Ednah D. Cheney, Rev. C. A. Bartol, Rev. F. E. Abbot, Rev.

Phoebe Hanaford and Hon. George F. h.o.a.r.

[111] For report of American a.s.sociation see Vol. II., page 756.

[112] Lucy Stone, Mary A. Livermore, Stephen S. and Abby Kelley Foster, H. B. Blackwell, Rev. W. H. Channing, Rev. J. F. Clarke, Rev. Gilbert Haven, Julia Ward Howe and Elizabeth K. Churchill made eloquent speeches.

The first board of officers of the Ma.s.sachusetts Woman Suffrage a.s.sociation was: _President_, Julia Ward Howe. _Vice-presidents_: William Lloyd Garrison, Roxbury; Anne B. Earle, Worcester; John G.

Whittier, Amesbury; Lidian Emerson. Concord; Hon. Robert C. Pitman, New Bedford; Mrs. Richmond Kingman, c.u.mmington; Rev. R. B.

Stratton, Worcester; Edna D. Cheney, Jamaica Plain; Hon. Isaac Ames, Haverhill; Sarah Shaw Ames, Boston; J. Ingersoll Bowditch, West Roxbury; Lydia Maria Child, Wayland; Mary Dewey, Sheffield; Hon. George F. h.o.a.r, Worcester; Sarah Grimke, Hyde Park; Sarah R.

Hathaway, Boston; William I. Bowditch, Boston; Harriot K. Hunt, M.

D., Boston; Hon. Samuel E. Sewall, Melrose; A. Bronson Alcott, Concord; Angelina G. Weld, Hyde Park; Hon. Henry Wilson, Natick; Rev. James Freeman Clarke, Boston; Charlotte A. Joy, Mendon; Jacob M. Manning, D. D., Lucy Sewall, M. D., Boston; Rev. Joseph May, Newburyport; Maria Zakrzewska, M. D., Roxbury; Rev. William B.

Wright, Boston; Rev. Jesse H. Jones, Natick; Phoebe A. Hanaford, Reading; Seth Hunt, Northampton: Maria S. Porter, Melrose.

_Executive Committee_: Rev. Rowland Connor, Boston; Caroline M.

Severance, West Newton; Rev. W. H. H. Murray, Boston; Gordon M.

Fiske, Palmer; Sarah A. Vibbert, Rockport; Rev. Gilbert Haven, Maiden; Caroline Remond Putman, Salem; Frank B. Sanborn, Springfield; Mercy B. Jackson, M. D., Boston; Samuel May, jr., Leicester; Margaret W. Campbell, Springfield; Rev. C. M. Wines, Brookline; Mary A. Livermore, Melrose; William S. Robinson, Maiden; Henry B. Blackwell, Boston; Lucy Stone, Boston; S. S. Foster, Worcester; Mrs. Wilc.o.x, Worcester; Ada R. Bowles, Cambridge.

_Corresponding Secretary_, Nina Moore, Hyde Park. _Recording Secretary_, Charles C. Whipple, Boston. _Treasurer_, E. D. Draper, Hopedale.

[113] Mary F. Eastman, Ada C. Bowles, Lorenza Haynes, Elizabeth K.

Churchill, Hulda B. Loud, Matilda Hindman and other agents in the lecture field have also done a great deal of missionary work.

[114] The committee of arrangements were Mrs. Isaac Ames, Harriet H. Robinson, Sarah B. Otis, Philip Wheeler, Jane Tenney, Mrs. A. A.

Fellows, Mrs. Jackson, Miss Talbot and Miss Halsey.

The speakers were: Wendell Phillips, Mary A. Livermore, Frederick Dougla.s.s, William Lloyd Garrison, Elizabeth K. Churchill, Margaret W. Campbell, Mary F. Eastman, Henry B. Blackwell, Lucy Stone and others. Julia Ward Howe and Mr. C. P. Cranch, read original poems.

Two old-time tea-party songs, curiosities in their line, were read.

One, dated Boston, 1773, ent.i.tled "Lines on Bohea Tea," was written by Susannah Clarke, great-aunt of W. S. Robinson; the other, copied from Thomas' _Boston Journal_, of December 2, 1773, was written by Mrs. Ames, a tailoress.

[115] _Committee of Arrangements_--Lucy Stone, Abby Kelley Foster, Thomas J. Lothrop, Timothy K. Earle, Sarah E. Wall, Harriet H.

Robinson and E. H. Church. At this public gathering, Athol, Boston, Haverhill, Leicester, Leominster, Lowell, Malden, Melrose, Milford, North Brookfield, Taunton, and many other Ma.s.sachusetts towns were well represented.

[116] The speakers were Lucy Stone, Rev. W. H. Channing, Mary A.

Livermore, Mary F. Eastman, Kate N. Doggett, Rev. F. A. Hinckley, Ednah D. Cheney, T. Wentworth Higginson, Isabella Beecher Hooker, Anna Garlin Spencer and Julia E. Parker. Harriet H. Robinson read a condensed history of Ma.s.sachusetts in the woman suffrage movement.

Interesting letters were received from Elizabeth Stuart Phelps, F.

W. Bird, H. B. Blackwell, Margaret W. Campbell, Mrs. C. I. H.

Nichols and Frances D. Gage. Two original woman suffrage songs, written by Anna Q. T. Parsons and Caroline A. Mason, were sung on the occasion.

[117] Board of officers for 1885: _President_, Miss Abby W. May; _Vice-president_, Mrs. Edna Dean Cheney; _Secretary_, Miss Brigham; _Treasurer_, Miss S. F. King; _a.s.sistant-secretary_, Miss Von Arnim; _Directors_, Miss H, Lemist, Mrs. J. W. Smith, Mrs. M. P.

Lowe, Mrs. H. G. Jackson, Mrs. L. H. Merrick, Mrs. G. L. Ruffin, Mrs. Walton, Mrs. Whitman, Miss Rogers, Miss E. Foster, Miss Shaw, Miss Lougee, Miss L. M. Peabody, Dr. A. E. Fisher, Mrs. Buchanan, Mrs. O. A. Cheney, Mrs. E. Hilt, Mrs. M. W. Nash, Mrs. M. H. Bray, Mrs. Fifield, Mrs. J. F. Clarke, Miss L. P. Hale, Mrs. A. H.

Spalding; _Lecture Committee_, Miss Lucia M. Peabody, Mrs. Fifield and Mrs. L. H. King.

[118] It is the only organization in the State whose business is managed by its members. Its officers are a president, one or more vice-presidents for each county, a secretary, treasurer, auditor, and a standing committee of seven with power to add to its number.

These officers are elected annually. Executive meetings, in which all members partic.i.p.ate, are held monthly. _President_, Harriette R. Shattuck; _Vice-presidents_, Dr. Salome Merritt, Joan D. Foster, Emma F. Clarry, Louisa E. Brooks, Esther P. Hutchinson, Sarah S.

Eddy, Harriet M. Spaulding, Martha E. S. Curtis, Dr. Sarah E.

Sherman, Sarah G. Todd, Abbie M. Meserve, Sophia A. Forbes, Esther B. Smith, Emma A. Todd. _Treasurer_, Sara A. Underwood; _Auditor_, Lavina A. Hatch; _Secretaries_, Hannah M. Todd, Elizabeth B.

Atwell, Harriet H. Robinson; _Standing Committee_, H. R. Shattuck, Dr. S. Merritt, H. H. Robinson, Lydia E. Hutchings, Mary R. Brown, E. B. Attwill, Lucretia H. Jones.

[119] South Framingham, South Boston, Winchester, Rockland, Wakefield, Uxbridge, Millbury, Bedford, Westboro', Salem, Lynn, Lowell, Rowley, Concord, Woburn, Malden, Cambridge, Beverly Farms.

[120] Two of these, Harriet H. Robinson and Harriette R. Shattuck, spoke at the first hearing before the Senate committee. It chanced that Mrs. Robinson was the first woman to speak before this Special Committee. The other delegates were: Mary R. Brown, Emma F. Clarry, Louisa E. Brooks, Mrs. G. W. Simonds, Sarah S. Eddy, Mr. and Mrs.

D. W. Forbes, Mary H. Semple, Louisa A. Morrison and Cora B. Smart.

[121] The authors and compilers of these leaflets are Harriette R.

Shattuck, Sara A. Underwood, Hannah M. Todd and Mary R. Brown.

[122] The speakers at these hearings were Harriette R. Shattuck, Mary R. Brown, Sidney D. Shattuck, Nancy W. Covell, Dr. Julia C.

Smith, Mr. S. C. Fay, Louisa A. Morrison, Sara A. Underwood and Harriet H. Robinson.

[123] The speakers were Rev. J. T. Sargent, A. Bronson Alcott, H.

B. Blackwell, Dr. Mercy B. Jackson, S. S. Foster, Mary A.

Livermore, Rev. B. F. Bowles, F. B. Sanborn, W. S. Robinson, Gilbert Haven and many others.

[124] In the records of the executive meetings of this a.s.sociation I find the following votes. In October, 1872, it was voted, That any invitation to speak at Republican meetings, extended to our agents by Republican committees in this State, be accepted by them until the coming election, their usual salaries being paid by this a.s.sociation; that Miss Loud be notified by Lucy Stone of our arrangement in regard to Republican meetings, and be requested, after the 15th instant, to hold her meetings in that manner as far as practicable; that the balance of expenses of the woman's meeting held at Tremont Temple be paid by this a.s.sociation. [This was a political meeting held by the Ma.s.sachusetts Woman Suffrage a.s.sociation to endorse General Grant as the presidential candidate of the Republican party.]

[125] The National a.s.sociation of Ma.s.sachusetts at its executive session, August 23, pa.s.sed the following:

_Resolved_, That while we respect the advice of our leaders, as their private political opinion, we deem it worse than useless to "stand by the Republican" or any other party while we are deprived of the only means of enforcing a political opinion; and that we advise all a.s.sociations, to concentrate their efforts upon securing the ballot to women, withholding all attempt at political influence until they possess the right which alone can make their influence effective.

[126] At the executive meeting of the New England a.s.sociation, May, 1874, it was voted that a circular be sent to the friends of woman suffrage, requesting them to meet in Boston, May 25, to consider the expediency of calling a convention to form a political party for woman suffrage.

[127] The call for this convention was signed by Harriet H.

Robinson, Rev. A. D. Sargent, Rev. G. H. Vibbert, William Johnson, Mrs. T. R. Woodman, Helen Gale and Mrs. M. Sloc.u.m. Judge Robert C.

Pitman was the candidate for governor.

[128] This "Woman Suffrage ticket," the first ever offered to a Ma.s.sachusetts voter, received 41 votes out of the 1,340 cast in all by the voters of the town, a larger proportion than that first cast by the old Liberty party in Ma.s.sachusetts, which began with only 307 votes in the whole State, and ended in the Free Soil and Republican parties.

[129] Election day dawned and it rained hard, but the women braved the storm. There they stood from 9 o'clock A.M. till a quarter of 5 P.M. and distributed votes, only leaving their positions long enough to get a cup of coffee and a luncheon, which was provided at the headquarters. They distributed 1,700 woman suffrage ballots and 1,000 circulars containing arguments on the rights of women. They were treated with unexceptionable politeness and kindness by the voters.

[130] The first time women went to the polls in Ma.s.sachusetts was in 1870, when forty-two women of Hyde Park, led by Angelina Grimke Weld and Sarah Grimke, deposited their ballots, in solemn protest "against the political ostracism of women, against leaving every vital interest of a majority of the citizens to the monopoly of a male minority." It is hardly needful to record that these ballots were not counted.