Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1865-1872, 1867-07-05
SENATOR WADE,s LATE SPEECH
= AT LAWRENCE. .
lis vie,os on Female Suffrage, RecOns,rwc.
lion, and NE Relations Of Cdpitai and
Labor. r. Ht'f ih



LAWRENCE, June 13.
was greatly surprised, on returning to
Lawrence with the excursion party, TO lind
how imperleetly aud iuacarately the local
Journals report tho significant speech do
liyerod in this place on Monday last By
Senator Wade. Neither Of the two daily
papers makes any allusion to the closing
part Of the speech, in which the question
OF labor aud capital was touched upon,
and their reports in other respects are al
together inadequate.
Since somo historical importance Is
likely to be attached to the speech, and
inasmuch as tho telegraph bupgled the
bri6srsport sent through that channel,
IL may b6-worth while for me 10 give your
readers as fuilsa sketch as possible from
the notes | took>pi the time, and which
fortunately preserved,
After the applausiwiih which ho was
welcomed hnd subsideq, the Senator re-
marked that ho had noliutention of max.
ing speech. lie had tnied to do so at
Omaha, and as he then broke down ia the
midst Of his remarks, he did not feel en-
couraged to repeat the, e,<Eempt on the
present occasion. Still there were some
thoughts which always suggested them.
selves in Kansas. Th%he great battle
between Freedom aud Slavery had bccn
fought out, and the sause of liberty had
triumphed. II theslave power had sue.
ceedcd there in It's infanous efforts, II
would have goD1 on to uatiouaize the ac-
cursed institgtion, bu, il was defeated. aud
now there was not n remnant Of it left in
the land. Applause 81 a,tc sfT
Mr.. Wade then said that no had kept
in advance OF the people in the great strife
between Freedom and slavery he meant
TO do the same thing in the contest which
had just commenced for extending the
right of suffrage to women, lie was un.
quali6edly in favor Of equal rights for all.
not only without regard to nationality aud
color, but without regard to sex, Wo.
men were more virtuous than men; their
perceptions were quicker and keoncr, aud
when they gained political power they
would reclify many abuses which had thus
far remained untouched If he had not
believed that bis own wife had sense
enough to vote, lie never would have mar,
riod her. Laughter aud applause1 And
IL any Of his hearers had wives wilo were
unequal to the discharge Of the right Of
suffrage, lie would advise them to 20 home
and get divorced at once. rRenewed
laughler.1 The speaker denounced those
women WHO did not want to vote, because
il was not fashionable, aud said that he
bad . prediction to make: Female suffrage
vii, be general in less than twenty years.
CA voice, "That's too far off, ~ and hc
thought II likely that in Kansas the next
Legislature might set tho, matter straight.
[Applausc llc repeated that he Intend
Cd TO keep IN advance Of the people on
ttis subject, and that he was now ready
to take another jump forward, IL nceeS.
sary. In his view, iadieaism upon this
aud all other questions was righteousness,
while conservatism whs hypocrisy and
cowardiee Tho consecutive was a mere
lickspittlo and bangeron he was mol only
willing to bc tramplod In the dust, but
was willing TO romain there.
As regarded the political situation ho
would only say that tho Southerncrs now
had the mildcst terms offered them they
would get IL they chose 10 accept them
we'll aud good thoy might have all the
advantage of such action Il they refused
thcn, another turn would bo given TO the
screw and they would be compelled TO
yield whothor they wished to or not. Con:
gress had thus far been with tho people,
aud It would not desert them under the
lead Of johnson or the devil Ills hear.
ers might rest assured Of one thing, that
reconstruction was as certain TO take place
as that the sun was shining.
Senator Wade ihcn proceeded 10 say
that thoro was another question upon
which he would express his yiews, although
his hearers might differ from him In opin.
ion. We had disposed Of tho question OF
slavery, and now that Of labor and capital
must pass through tho ordeal, The shad.
ow Of tho approaching struggle between
these two great interests was already upon
us, and 1t would do no good to turn our
backs upon the question. II must be met,
Property was not equally divided, and a
moro equal distribution Of capital must be
wrought out. That Congress which had