of
earthquakes, and it was stated, we understand, that after the
women began to hold conventions in this country, earthquakes
became more frequent, occurring from 1850 in California,
simultaneously with these conventions in several States, showing
that old mother earth sympathizes with the sorrows of women. The
fear of similar occurrences in the District fully accounts for
the exclusiveness of these scientific gentlemen. Professor
Helgard discoursed most eloquently on co-operative housekeeping.
As we listened to the many good reasons he gave for cooking,
washing, and ironing on a large scale, we felt the women of the
nation might be benefited ultimately by these weekly cogitations,
if not permitted to enjoy the society of the cogitators.

E. C. S.

The National Woman's Suffrage Convention held in Washington, January
18th and 19th, presented the following appeal to the District
Committee:

TO THE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

HONORABLE GENTLEMEN: As the Franchise bill is now under
consideration, we would urge your committee to so amend it as to
secure the right of suffrage to all the women of the District,
and thus establish in the capital of the nation the first genuine
republic the world has ever known. It would be a work of
supererogation to warn you against the puerile proposition to
disfranchise all the people of the District, by placing their
municipal affairs under the direct control of Congress, for such
retrogressive legislation is beneath the consideration of your
honorable committee, and would never be tolerated by the
American people. The tide of public opinion is setting to-day in
the opposite direction; in all governments we see a steadily
increasing tendency toward individual responsibilities--to the
election of rulers by a direct voice of the people. In this
general awakening, woman too has been roused to a sense not only
of her own rights as a human being, but to her duties as a
citizen under government.

It is especially fitting that the grand experiment of equality
should be first tried in the District of Columbia, where such
able debates on freedom have been heard during the last century;
where slavery was first abolished by an act of Congress; and