New-York daily tribune., 1858-04-23
THE ELECTIVE FRANCHISE FOR
WOMEN.
LECTURE BY MRS. LUCY STONE.

A LECTURE BY MRS. LUCY STONE.
Mozst Hal was well filled last evening with an au-
6ience partly earnest, partly curious, but all eager 10
hear Mrs. Lucy Stone advocate the claims OF woman
to the elective franchise. Upon the platform were
many of the most fsvOrably known men and women OF
the city. Mrs. Stone said:
The world bas scarcely reached the point where
those who speak of any topic concerning woman
present or future, if IL involve woman's rghts, are
greeted with cheers. But when it comes 10 make an
offering to those whose suffering appeals to the heart
il throws what is supposed to be the har'ner
thing Of womans rights kind Of covering that makes
the subject spproachable, that neither men nor
women shudder. The world has been slow to learn
that woman rights and human rights are the same
thing and that all that is meant by womans rights Is
that woman shal take her rank as human oeng ana
do whatever che do without being out OF her
sphers Ii has been Glow to learn that woman sphere
ia a very arbitrary thing, and the general 1ehet
that right and prOpriety depend on SEX Shu nyt
in different lstitudes The sphere of woman In her
future will be found to be just the highest ana nopssI
ard beat thing she work at, and II WIN hoI uaho
her less vomsnly less worthy OF her hsh VOC OSu %
as woman, and wife and mother WohaI sP"u,u ,,o
now depends on custom, not on nature heio b. b.
find women worshiping every day In the "eeA' p"'
go among the MohSmmedans and they say noNno. a
women nor dOge nor any other uncleah ahu - 0u =;
coma in In India the women do not eat Wtn tneh
husbands. The sphere depends on the latitude the
usage of the country. Ii is no new clam tnal "oI
sr, inc for the right Of the elective franchise Il.
Sstes furt6er back than any of In the time OF the
Revolution our fathers learned that the power o!
suffrage was il the people. They held upradIant ana
beautiful: ave hold these truths to be sell
"svideot. that Governments derive their Jast
"Dower from the consent OF the governed. NII IL
rnn from heart to heart and from mind TO mnd IKE
r eect,ic current every man feeling that In It's ut
s,sncs there was power which should yet come 10
have a universal spring. They acted upon II; Ihey
Ss for,une and life and sacred honor and they won
tos tbsmselves. And then, having achieved II Tor
tbemselves they turned straight about 10 make slaves
OF the h .nk people and TO deny to woman tue rsus
OF spfrIaoe And said those grown mem we, .I .ue
neonis 70 establish Justice" and VINO were we vac
~ =" OnIv while men And yet men say that we
bsvs u,;versaI suffrage here. When we ASK iSr tue
sisot;s fr., chise they turn and say: ny DO you
want II Well protect you. LEI us sS'h ~, ~ ,o o9
, - ace what ia the protection which they al,
ford eno vhether we need 70 ask H. Vne o'ss III III
nars,ns oas never leglslated wisely anu "eI,
Ror anotber class. Men who call Us wives anu
sisters and mothers have covered their statute
books of the States with sucn laws, tha' II iau @
against men they would be iound dong sS tney a'o
row dong il Kansas. Now, in TINS hour' anu wneu
ouest;ops of Freedom are asked more earnestly than
befo,s 4 is well for us to ask what It Is that pre-
yfnis the rrer from giving equal rights One class
viii tell you that the polls are places OF rowoysn ana
ruiarsm and II is rot proper that women snould 90
"a them He forgets 10 state that the TOwdy Is the au
xxbo 1, leo TO make the laws TO govern the women
Ask a second-rate man this question he is very WISE
and win tel You the women are not competent. ne
Knows enough 10 vote the ticket that put into hs
hand perhaps he knows something more PSrhaps
not lie says that women don know enouSn' pu.
here are Irishmen who can't read tneiI Us, ous
;hsy are competeLti the mIstocraey OF tne~ s7A III"