Activities Among Negroes
HISTORY OF SUFFRAGE. By DELILAH L. BEASLEY.
There was held in the city of St. Louis, Mo., last week the sixth annual convention of the National League of Women Voters. It was, however, the fifth convention of women in America in regard to for suffrage. It has been said by modern historians that in every notable historical event in the United States the negro will be found running through it like the gold thread in paper money. This is particularly true in the history of the fight for woman's rights and the ultimate in victory of votes for women.
BEGINNING OF THE STRUGGLE
The beginning of the struggle for woman's rights and the right of the franchise for women dates from the world's anti-slavery convention held in London, England, June 12, 1840. The women of America who believed human slavery was wrong attended that convention. The opposition to their presence by the clergy was so great, the convention was only able to be conducted by the women being seated behind a curtain. These women nevertheless decided to remain even if they could not be seen. William Lloyd Garrison, who had been detained at sea, learned upon his arrival of the humiliation that had been accorded to the women delegates, and he refused to take his seat on the floor of the convention. He attended. however, during the ten days by occupying a seat in the gallery.
FIRST WOMAN'S RIGHT MEET.
It was while attending the world's anti-slavery convention, and listening to the debates by the men that two American women, notably Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, decided that upon their return to the United States that they would call a convention on woman's rights. They said, "Men knew so little about the legal disabilities of women, it was quite evident they must be educated on the subject."
In this day "The Legal Status of Women," on the program of the National League of Women Voters convention, is quite mild compared with the great disabilities under which the women of that period labored. It was not only necessary, but humanly right that they should be relieved of some of these disabilities.
The call to the first woman's right convention was issued by Lucretia Mott. Martha C. Wright, Elizabeth Cady Stonton and Mary Ann McClintock. It was held in Seneca Falls, New York. This state was the first to emancipate wives from the slavery of the old English laws. This, however, only pertained to property rights. The call to the convention said, "No men were to be allowed." But they did attend, and since they were present, the very first motion was to permit them to remain.
Records of this convention read: "Several gentlemen took part in the debates, some in favor, some opposed, and others willing to make partial concession to the demands as set forth in the Declarations and Resolutions." Fred Douglass, William C. Nell and William C. Bloss advocated the emancipation women from all the artificial disabilities imposed by false customs, creeds and codes. Continuing, the minutes read: "The only resolution that was not unanimously adopted was the ninth, urging the women of the country to secure themselves the elective franchise." Those who took part in the debates feared a demand for the right to vote would defeat others they deemed more rational and to make the whole movement ridiculous. Mrs. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Fred Douglass, seeing that the power to choose rulers and make the laws was the right by which all others could be secured, persistently advocated the resolution and at last carried it by a small majority.
The proceedings of the convention were extensively published and unsparingly ridiculed by the be press and denounced by the pulpit. This resulted in the following record found in the minutes: "The comments of the press were carefully preserved." They then published at great length an editorial by Fred Douglass from his weekly paper, The North Star, July 28, St. 1848. He had very recently been given his Freedom Papers through the purchase by some kind, English ladies in London, England, where he had been lecturing. Upon his preparation to return to the United States, he was presented by these same ladies with a printing press. Thus he was enabled through the kindness of these ladies to become the first Negro in America to edit and publish a weekly paper. His writings were considered of such value that they were often referred to through the long struggle for votes for women. The other Negro man with Fred Douglass in attendance at this convention, namely William C. Nell, had written a book, "The History of the Black Man," which had received favorable comments from the press.
FIRST SUFFRAGE SOCIETY.
The first suffrage society was organized after this convention. Mrs. Emily Collins of South Bristol, Ontario county, New York, issued the call for the first equal suffrage convention. In her call she said: "The women saw the necessity for association in order to obtain the elective franchise, the only key that would unlock the door of our prison."
In a letter to Miss Sarah C. Owen, secretary of the Woman's Protective union at Rochester, New York, she wrote: "A press entirely devoted to our cause seems indispensable. If there are none such, can you tell me of any paper that advocates our claims more warmly than the North Star,' published by Fred Douglass?"
WOMAN'S RIGHT CONVENTION AKRON, OHIO.
Woman's rights conventions were soon being held in many parts of the country. Ohio led with the second, held in Akron. The clergy, as at the World's Antislavery convention in London, attended only to protest. They took part in the debates and caused so much confusion that according to the minutes, "No one could tell who was for or against our rights." That was, however, after one minister had recalled "that Eve, the first woman, through sin, had turned the world upside down." An old Negro woman, a former slave, Sojourner Truth, addressed the convention from the steps of the pulpit, where she had been seated. In her broken language she has been quoted as saying: "If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women altogether," and as she glanced over the platform, "ought to be able to turn it back, and get it right side up again. And now that they are asking to do it the men better let them."
In speaking of this incident the president of the convention, Mrs. C Frances D. Gage, has written in her "Reminiscences" : "Amid roars of applause Sojourner Truth returned to her corner leaving more than one of us with streaming eyes and hearts beating with gratitude. She had taken us up in her strong arms and carried us over the slough of difficulty, turning the whole tide in our favor. I have never in my life seen anything like the magical Influence that subdued the mobbish spirit of the day and turned the sneers and jeers of the excited crowd into notes of respect and admiration. Hundreds rushed up to shake her hand and to congratulate the glorious old mother and bid her God speed on her mission."
Strange to relate the very thought of making the fight for woman's rights was conceived at a world's anti-slavery convention of Abolitionists whose object was the world emancipation of Negro slaves that furnished food for thought. The most remarkable fact is that while the thought was born at this convention, at the first American Woman's Right convention the one resolution that did not pass unanimously was advocated by a Negro man. He persisted that whereby the women could access the right to vote was the only way the women could secure other rights. While this resolution finally carried with a very small majority, it was just eighty years afterwards before women actually did acquire the right to vote, through a constitutional amendment. This one item was never omitted from the platform of any woman's right or equal suffrage convention during these many years.
WOMEN NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS.
The beginning of the fight for equal rights by women who had the courage to make the fight dates from the fourteenth century. Their greatest fight, however, dates from the first daily newspaper ever published in the world. It was established by Elizabeth Mallet in London, England, March, 1702. It was called The Daily Courant.
It was in 1868, however, that pronounced woman's right paper was started in New York city by Susan B. Anthony as publisher and proprietor, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Parker Pillsbury as editors. That was "The Revolution." Its motto was "Principles, not policy: Justice, not favors: Men, their rights, nothing else; Women, their rights, and nothing less." It was most gratifying to note that notwithstanding San Francisco at that date was in its pioneer period. the very next year-in 1869-a woman's rights paper was established and edited by Emily Pitts Stevens. It was called The Pioneer. A similar paper was established in the same city in 1876 by Mrs. Boyer. That was called The Golden Daws.
