The History of Woman Suffrage Volume III Part 83

In closing this able report for Indiana a few facts in regard to the author may interest the general reader as well as the student of history.

Mrs. May Wright Sewall has been well known for many years in Indianapolis in the higher departments of education, and has recently crowned her efforts as a teacher by establis.h.i.+ng a model cla.s.sical school for girls, in which she is not only training their minds to vigorous thought, but taking the initiative steps to secure for them an equally vigorous physical development. Her pupils are required to wear a comfortable gymnastic costume, all their garments loosely resting on their shoulders; corsets, tight waists and high-heeled boots forbidden, for deep thinking requires deep breathing. The whole upper floor of her new building is a s.p.a.cious gymnasium, where her pupils exercise every day under the instruction of a skillful German; and on every Sat.u.r.day morning they take lessons from the best dancing master in the city. The result is, she has no dull scholars complaining of headaches. All are alike happy in their studies and amus.e.m.e.nts.

Mrs. Sewall is a preeminently common-sense woman, believing that sound theories can be put into practice. Although her tastes are decidedly literary and aesthetic, she is a radical reformer. Hence her services in the literary club and suffrage society are alike invaluable. And as chairman of the executive committee of the National a.s.sociation, she is without her peer in planning and executing the work.

As her husband, Mr. Theodore L. Sewall, is also at the head of a cla.s.sical school, and equally successful in training boys, it may be said that both inst.i.tutions have the advantage of the united thought of man and woman. As educators, Mr. and Mrs. Sewall have reaped much practical wisdom from their mutual consultations and suggestions, the results of which have been of incalculable benefit to their pupils.

Peering into the homes of the young women in the suffrage movement, one cannot but remark the deference and respect with which these intelligent, self-reliant wives are uniformly treated by their husbands, and the unbounded confidence and affection they give in return. For happiness in domestic life, men and women must meet as equals. A position of inferiority and dependence for even the best organized women, will either wither all their powers and reduce them to apathetic machines, going the round of life's duties with a kind of hopeless dissatisfaction, or it will rouse a bitter antagonism, an active resistance, an offensive self-a.s.sertion, poisoning the very sources of domestic happiness. The true ideal of family life can never be realized until woman is restored to her rightful throne. Tennyson, in his "Princess," gives us the prophetic vision when he says:

"Everywhere Two heads in council, two beside the hearth, Two in the tangled business of the world, Two in the liberal offices of life, Two plummets dropped for one, to sound the abyss Of science, and the secrets of the mind."

FOOTNOTES:

[325] See Vol. I., page 306.

[326] The call for this convention was signed by Amanda M. Way, Mrs. M. C. Bland, Mrs. M. M. B. Goodwin, Mrs. Henry Blanchard, Mrs.

Emma B. Sw.a.n.k, Indianapolis; Mrs. Isaac Kinley, Richmond; Dr. Mary F. Thomas, Camden; Dr. Mary H. Wilhite, Miss Lizzie Boynton, Miss Mollie Krout, Dr. E. E. Barrett, Crawfordsville; Mrs. Abula Pucket Nind, Fort Wayne; Mrs. L. S. Bidell, Crown Point; Rev. E. P.

Ingersoll, J. V. R. Miller, Rev. Henry Blanchard, Rev. William Hannaman, Professor A. C. Shortridge, Professor R. T. Brown, Professor Thomas Rhodes, Dr. T. A. Bland, Indianapolis; Hon. Isaac Kinley, Isaac H. Julian, Richmond; Hon. L. M. Nind, Fort Wayne; Hon. S. T. Montgomery, Kokomo; D. R. Pers.h.i.+ng and Rev. T. Sells, Warsaw.

[327] The officers of the State a.s.sociation in 1883 were: _President_, Dr. Mary F. Thomas: _Vice-Presidents_, Mrs. Helen V.

Austin, Mrs. S. S. McCain, Mrs. M. V. Berg, Mrs. G. Gifford, Mrs.

M. P. Lindsey, Mrs. C. A. P. Smith and Mrs. F. G. Scofield; _Secretary_, Mrs. M. E. M. Price; _Corresponding Secretary_, Mrs.

F. M. Adkinson; _Treasurer_, Miss Mary D. Naylor; _State Central Committee_, Mrs. Mary E. Haggart, Mrs. Z. G. Wallace and May Wright Sewall.

[328] Annual--1871, June 21, 22, Bloomington; 1872, June 5, 6, Dublin; 1873, June 11, 12, Terre Haute; Semi-Annual, November 19, Richmond. Annual--1874, May 28, 29, Fort Wayne; 1875, May 25, 26, Liberty; Semi-Annual, November 23, 24, Winchester. Annual--1876, May 30, 31, Anderson; 1877, September 4, 5, Knightstown; 1878, June 11, 12, Richmond: 1879, May 14, 15, Kokomo; 1880, April 27, 28, Crawfordsville; 1881, June 15, 16, Kokomo; Semi-Annual, October 29, Dublin. Annual--1882, May, Columbus; 1883, June, Logansport; 1884, Kokomo; 1885, November 22, 23, Warsaw.

[329] See Vol. II., page 851.

[330] The Equal Suffrage Society has now, 1885, a members.h.i.+p of 175, including many representatives of whatever in Indianapolis is best in character, culture and social place. The society has lately districted the city for local work, a.s.suming the boundaries of the school districts as its own for this purpose; its present plan is to place each of these twenty-six districts under the especial care of a committee whose business shall be to hold meetings, distribute literature and circulate pet.i.tions. The society thus hopes to create a stimulating suffrage atmosphere at the capital which shall inspire the legislators with courage to do good work for women at their next session.

[331] INVITATION.--The Indianapolis Equal Suffrage Society requests the pleasure of your company at a literary and social entertainment to be given in the Bates House parlors, Friday evening, November 4, 1881. _Committee_--May Wright Sewall, Mary C. Raridan, Mrs. H.G.

Carey, Mrs. Charles Kregelo, and Miss Lydia Halley. Please present invitation at the door.

PROGRAMME.--1. Music, piano solo, Miss Dietrich; 2. Toast, Yorktown, Henry D. Pierce; 3. Toast, The True Republic, Mrs. Z.G.

Wallace; 4. Music, solo (vocal), Mrs. J.J. Cole; 5. Toast, Women in Indiana, Gen. John Coburn; 6. Toast, Women in the "Revised Version," Arthur W. Tyler; 7. Music, solo (vocal), Arthur Miller: 8. Toast. The Literary Women of Indiana. 9. Toast, Women in the U.S. School System, Horace S. Tarbell; 10. Recitation, Lida Hood Talbott; 11. Toast, Our Forefathers, Rev. Myron W. Reed; 12. A Reply, Mary C. Raridan; 13. Music, solo (vocal), Mrs. J.C. New.

Music In charge of Mrs. John C. New. W.B. Stone, accompanist.

[332] The speakers were Helen M. Gouger, Florence M. Adkinson, Mary A. Haggart, Ex-Gov. Baker, Judge Martindale, Mrs. Wallace, Messrs.

Walker and Dooley, editors of the _Times_ and _Herald_, Mr.

Tarbell, superintendent of the city schools, and May Wright Sewall.

[333] See Indiana Appendix, note A.

[334] See Appendix to Indiana, note B.

[335] The following invitation was sent to every member of the legislature who had voted for the amendment, and also to all the leading people of the city: The pleasure of your company is requested at the parlors of the New-Denison, Friday evening, April 15, from 8 to 12, where a social entertainment will be given in honor of the pa.s.sage of the suffrage amendment by our State legislature. [Signed:] Mrs. Zerelda G. Wallace, Miss Catherine Merrill, Mrs. Harvey G. Carey, Mrs. Charles Kregelo, Mrs. Henry D.

Pierce, Mrs. Thomas A. Hendricks, May Wright Sewall, Mrs. George Merritt, Mrs. John C. New and Mrs. John M. Judah. The programme was as follows: 1. Music, Solo (vocal), Zelda Seguin Wallace. 2. Toast, Our Legislature, Senator Spann. 3. Toast, Our Opponents, Colonel DeWitt Wallace. 4. Toast, The Press and Progress, Laura Ream. 5.

Toast, The Indiana Woman under the Law, William Wallace. 6. Music, Solo (vocal), Mrs. John C. New. 7. Toast, The Ideal Man, Mrs. J. M.

Judah. 8. Toast, The Ideal Woman, Mr. A. S. Caldwell. 9. Toast, The Home of the Future, May Wright Sewall. 10. Music, German Song, Professor John Fiske. 11. Toast, The Woman who "Don't want to Vote," Gertrude Garrison. 12. Recitation, Lida Hood Talbot. 13.

Toast, The Att.i.tude of the Pulpit toward Reform, Rev. Myron W.

Reed. 14. Music, Solo (vocal), Zelda Seguin Wallace.

[336] The persons thus authorized by the central committee to hold meetings and organize societies were Dr. Mary F. Thomas, Mary E.

Haggart, Zerelda G. Wallace, Helen M. Gougar, May Wright Sewall and L. May Wheeler.

[337] Besides these five-minute reports, addresses were delivered by Rev. Myron W. Reed, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Indianapolis; Captain DeWitt Wallace of Lafayette, Dr. Ridpath of DePaun University, Colonel Maynard, chief editorial writer on the _Sentinel_; Mrs. Haggart, Mrs. Gougar, Mrs. Josephine R. Nichols, and other men and women of less prominence, but on that occasion of hardly less interest.

[338] Among these the names of William Dudley Foulke of Richmond, W. DeWitt Wallace of Lafayette, G. H. Thomas of Huntington, and S.

P. Yancey, merit honorable mention.

[339] Mrs. Sewall, Mrs. Merritt and Mrs. Mary E. Newman Carey.

[340] Republican, May Wright Sewall and Paulina T. Merritt; Democratic, Mary E. Haggart and Florence M. Adkinson.

[341] For an account of this prison, see Appendix to Indiana chapter, note C.

[342] See Appendix to Indiana chapter, note G.

[343] Miss Merrill resigned in the autumn of 1883, and was immediately succeeded by Miss Harriet n.o.ble of Vincennes, a graduate of Va.s.sar, and a lady of most admirable qualities, whose success is a.s.sured by the record of her first year in this responsible position.

[344] See sketch of Dr. Thomas, Vol. I., page 324.

[345] For these bills and amendments, see Vol. II., pages 325, 333.

[346] See Appendix, Indiana chapter, notes E and F.

[347] Mrs. Sarah T. Bolton, Laura Ream, Mrs. Lew Wallace, Mary H.

Korut, Mary Dean, Margaret Holmes (Mrs. M. V. Bates), Mrs. M. E.

Banta, Mrs. Louise V. Boyd, Mrs. Helen V. Austin, Mrs. Hettie A.

Morrison, Mrs. E. S. L. Thompson, Mrs. Amy E. Dunn, Mrs. A. D.

Hawkins, Miss Rena L. Miner, Miss Edna C. Jackson and Mrs. D. M.

Jordan are all literary women who sympathize with and aid this reform.

[348] The woman's department has constantly grown in extent and value, until it has become one of the most important features of the State fair, and this year, 1885, the managers have allowed to it twice the s.p.a.ce hitherto occupied. It is worthy of note that suffrage papers, tracts and books are always to be found among the exhibits.

[349] Mrs. Garrison left Indianapolis for New York in May of 1882.

Success followed her to the metropolis and she now has, 1885, the entire editorial management of the literary department of the American Press a.s.sociation, and her work goes into more than fifty of the best weekly papers in the country.

[350] _Our Herald_ did royal service in the campaign of 1882; it subsequently became a monthly and in addition to other admirable efforts, undertook to introduce leading western women to the larger world by publis.h.i.+ng a series of biographical sketches of the most prominent. In the winter of 1885 Mrs. Gougar sold _Our Herald_ to Mrs. Harbert, who published it in Chicago as the _The New Era_.

CHAPTER XLIII.

ILLINOIS.

Chicago a Great Commercial Center--First Woman Suffrage Agitation, 1855--A. J. Grover--Society at Earlville--Prudence Crandall--Sanitary Movement--Woman in Journalism--Myra Bradwell--Excitement in Elmwood Church, 1868--Mrs. Huldah Joy--Pulpit Utterances--Convention, 1869, Library Hall, Chicago--Anna d.i.c.kinson--Robert Laird Collier Debate--Manhood Suffrage Denounced by Mrs. Stanton and Miss Anthony--Judge Charles B. Waite on the Const.i.tutional Convention--Hearing Before the Legislature--Western Suffrage Convention, Mrs. Livermore, President--Annual Meeting at Bloomington--Women Eligible to School Offices--Evanston College--Miss Alta Hulett--Medical a.s.sociation--Dr. Sarah Hackett Stephenson--"Woman's Kingdom," in the _Inter-Ocean_--Mrs. Harbert--Centennial Celebration at Evanston--Temperance Pet.i.tion, 180,000--Frances E.