The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1866-06-14
TIFFIN, O, THURSDAY. JUNE ID, 1866.
Theodore Tilton
ON woMAN's RIGHT TO VOTE.

Mrs. President, this convention
is called to consider the most beau.
tiful and humane idea which has
ever entered into American poll
tics-the right OF woman to the bal.
lot which belongs equally to all citi-
zens. What is the chief glory of cur
democratic institutional 1t is, that
they appeal equally to the common
interest of all classes-to high and
low, to rich and poor, to white aud
black, to male and female. And
never, until the political equality
of all these classes is fully recog.
nigzed by our laws, shall we have
a truly democratic government.
The practical instrument of this
political is the ballot. Now, what
is the ballot Mr.. rockingham
gave us one definition Mr.. Phil.
lips gave us another. but the bal
lot is so large a thing that it ad-
mits of many definitions. The
ballot is what the citizens think of
the Government. The government
looks to the ballot to know the pop
ular will. do not mean to say
that the little piece of white paper
which we hold in one hand on elec.
tion day is the only means where.
by we can utter an opinion that
shall be heard in Washington. -
We can speak by the pen, we can
speak by the voice. But there is
no spoken voice, there is no writ
ten word, which the government is
legally bound to heed except the
ballot. When they see the ballot,
they know they are served with
official notice. When you talk to
a government, you talk as to q tree;
but when you vote at it, you scratch
your name on the bark. Now
want to see Rosalind's name cut
into tho bark of the government
II Applause. Who ought to pos
sess the ballot : Our President il
right mean this President -
Applause. She does not claim
the ballot for women as women
but for women as citizens. Tha
is the true ground. Tie ballot be
longs not to the white men, nor t
black men, nor to the women, but
to the citizens. Shall the minister
votel No. Shall the lawyer vote.
No. Shall tho merchant No
Shall the rich mans No. Shal
the poor man vote 2 No. None
of these shall vote. There is only
one person who shall vote and tina
is the citizen. Applause. J Now
trust the day 10 not far distan
when our institutions shall prac
tically recognize this idea-wher
civil prerogative shall be limited
not only by no distinction of color
but by no distinction of sex.
i Are women politically oppress'
ed that they need the ballot Tor pro
lection leave that question to
be answered by women themselves
demand the. ballot for woman, no
for woman's, but for mans sake
she may demand it for my sake
but, to-day, demand it n,y sake
We shall never have government
thoroughly permeated with Chris
tianity, thoroughly trustworthy
until both men and women sha
unite in forming the public sent
I ment, and in administering tha
/ sentiment through the governmen
4 [Applause,] The church need
: women-society needs women
!, literature needs women--scienc
= needs women--the arts need wo
: men and politics need women.--
I[Applause. A Frenchman ono,
wrote an essay to prove woman
right to the alphabet. She too
the alphabet, entered literatur
and drove out Dean Swift. sWhe
she takes the ballot, and enters poI
itics, she will drive out Fernand
: Wood. [Applause.] And, shaI
, we have a woman tor President
| would thank God if, to day W
had a man for President. Laugh
teri Shall women govern tn
country Queens have ruled ma
tions from the beginning Of time
and weman has governed ma
since the foundation of the world