The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1867-04-19
CorroNwooD FALls. April 49,. 1867.

EDITOR EMPoRIA News: confess that
1 was surprised in reading your paper
of Yesterday. After reading the soul-stir'
ing articles of"+" I had hoped to number
the News among the firm supporters Of
impartial suffrage" in the southwest. 1
had hoped this from the fact that believe
every member of the Legislature from The
Neosho Valley. excepting Mr.. Moore,
Democrat from Marion, voted to strike out
'male' and white from the State Con
stitutioD.
You say in your leader of yesterday,
Many voters who are in favor of man
hood suffrage are not in favor of famale
suffrage" What do you mean by "man-
hood?'' If you use the term only in a sex
ual sense, and contend that suffrage has
voice in making the law by which we
are to be governed, is merely the exercise
of an animal function, and not the right
of human being then have studied the
science of government to little purpose.
[ advocate "negro suffrage not because
they are black-not because they are of
the male sex, but because they are bu-
man beings and entitled to all the rights of
other human beings. If women are not
human beings, then they are not entitled
to the rights of human beings; but if you
once raise them above the brute creation
and admit them to be human beings, that
ends the argument.
But, Mr.. Editor, none of US are making
"female suffrage" speciality, but object
to the term female, as well as that of male,
common to all animals; and hence basing
suffrage upon mere animal functions in
stead of humanity-the manhood of
Chirst-whieh is common to every hu
man being.
You say eve consider the proposition
to strike out the word white far more
important than the one to strike out the
word male The word white in our
constitution disfranchises nineteen hun
dred colored human beings. The word
male in our constitution DISTINGUISHES
nine thousand white human beings. Now
ifyou undertake to tell us why it is more
important to extend suffrage to one colored
human being, than to one hundred white
human beings, 1 think you will yield the
point in controversy.
If you are true friend of the negro,
let me caution you not to make an issue
with the white women of this State. Let
it once be understood that the negroes of
Kansas and their friends are claiming
rights which they are not willing to give
to the mothers, wives, sisters and daugh
ters of the State, and 1 prophecy that
negro suffrage is beaten, two to one, next
fall.
You say "lhe granting of suffrage is
the natural finishing stroke to slavery"
Are We to understand the refusal of
suffrage to be kind Of slavery? If the
want of the ballot is slavery for one, it is
for both.
''The Republican party, by resolution
in its conventions, x X Thoroughly
identified itself with negro suffrage. 1t
was, and is one of the planks in the Re
publican platform - one of our party
issues"
Will you please tell me at what con-
vention the resolution was passed? When
thA ise,,.I -, rna6a7 ,aooou.of The
the last Republican State Contention in
Kansas voted down the proposition that
the word white be stricken out of our
constitution.
You say "Let the enemies Of that ter
rible word male call their convention
women's rights gathering, &C." 1t is
only the wrong use of the word, to which
we object. Am to understand you to
be an enemy to the white race because
you want the word "White" stricken out
of the constitution? If you and those
occupying your position only favor enc
gro suffrage" why not call it by that
name and ego in" and not attempt to
cloak it with impartial or even manhood
suffrage? We use the term that denotes
our meaning and oppose suffrage based
upon color or sex instead of human beings
or human rights. We cannot name it wo-
mems suffrage because we do not ask the
right for them because they are women,
but because they are human beings.
am in favor of Impartial suffrage
To secure it in Kansas the word "white''
and finale" must be stricken from The
State Constitution; hence we call it by
that name. If you want a side show for
the negro in opposition to the women, i.
will be you who makes he division and
must take the responsibility of defeat if
it should come. Let us read our constr
tuition as you aud others would have it
If not il words, ia meaning:
All political pawer is inherent in male
cilizens, black and white. and they have
the exclusive right to lsgislats for the
whole human family, but the right to be
taxed to support the Government; the
right to be tried. committed and punish
ed by law, are common to everybody.
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