The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-12-27
SHALL WOMEN VOTE T.

BROOKLYN Academy OF Music on ssShall Women Vote ~
The audience was extremely slim and meagrs scarcely .
hundred persons being present, and the predominant
element this limited congregation Of the faith
full plainly and papabIy the peculiar variety Of tho
gentIer sex known as 'the strong minded" fully
equipped with spsctaces and the customary allowance
of artificial curls.
The feminine orator having been introduced by q
gentleman, she began her discourse by compmenting
the population Of the City OF Churches upon their tried
constancy to the cause OF female suffrage She then
went on to say that the Of intel
ligenL more educated and far moral than great
many whose right to vote mono questioned. They
loyal and patriotic and hao the requisites In
every other respect except the fact that they were
can party since the bad been urgently pressing the
right OF the negroes TO suffrage on the ground that they
did good service against the common enemy
whose sous had gone to the battle field and
never returned came and asked that they might
give expression OF their feelings aud sentiments In
governments whose laws they required 70 obey, no
matter how patriotic, matter how loyal they were,
w esey esss Il
cognized politically, these mothers Of gallant and noble
sons were ranked to-day with madmen and fools.
Women were hnod they were imprisoned, they were
hanged and yet not OF them had ever been granted
the right Of being tried by jury OF her peers They
were taxed without representation and they were gov.
eIned without their consent, In the face Of all tho
fine theories OF our government including the
Deciaratl0n OF independence 1ney were frequently
told when they claimed the right Of giving their consent
to the laws to which they owed obedience. that the
doctrine Of the consent OF the governed was gl.erng
generality which had never been consistently followed
And Jet this theory the golden rule Of polti
cal justice; the right OF citizen to participate in
making the laws the sole foundation OF political
morality Mrs. Stone then alluded 70 the marked
change for the better which had taken place dis
cossion o. the question OF female suffrage Years ago
met with ridlcule and sneers but II was
argued BY political parties in sober earnest But
tl,.~ shan thaU exat axx
means OF petitions. which would literally reach miles In
length for the right OF suffrage they found people ask
would il do women to voter She always me. this With
another question: "What good does do you 70 vote ~
Women needed the ballot because IL was the only way
In which they could be protected In their rights To
men vote meant fair days wages for . fair days
work. But the DISTINGUISHED women in America did not
get fair days wages for fair days work The ballot
power capable Of extortng what otherwise would
be granted In the District OF Columbia the negroes
had been utterly unable for number Of years TO get
their share of the public school money But when
Congress established suffrage for the colorcd men, in
single week thereafter ten thousand dollars paid TO
the colored men, because their oppressors knew per-
fectly well THAT armed with the ballot, the negro mad
the power 10 compel the recognition OF his rights And
why was il that women were always paid SO poorlyy
Why was 1t that the women who compelled TO
their living by labor at great 4 disadvantage
because the man bad vote and the woman had not
Women wanted the right to vote, because that the
only way in which they could BIO protected in their
rights But they were told that they represented
already. Both white men and black told her
this She was always sorry to quote TO gentlemen the
work OF their hands; but there no other way OF
showing tho faacy Of this argument Mrs. Stone then
enlarged at great length upon the injustice OF laws
force In almost ali the States discriminating against the
woman and In favor OF the on questions OF
property, divorce aud separation. She then sad the
prospects Of the friends OF equal rights very hope
full and cheering at the present time From Maine to
Kansas and women organizing In efforts
10 the right OF suffrage Petitions were
session 10 the Legislatures Of every
State in the Union aud in almost every state they found
snsn snerc wsse many good and earnest men who we're
They found many newspapers now rkgIns female sur
frage ana just recently IN Kansas q Asd bsen made
the word "nals should should be inserted the
new constitution For several weeks the two branches
yo,ef should be placed before the people, ana shs and
The other friends OF equal rights watched for the result
with the deep hear. ,hrobs only the long inn
prisoned man foit whom he heard the turning OF the
key IN the lock that should give him back God blessed
Sunshine and the dear green earth. But when tho
campaign was over and every vote was counted out Of
. vote OF twenty thousand they cot only seven
thousand votes, though Of these least six thousand
the votes OF who would have given their right
hands rather than MOI have cast II for The brave women
Of KansaA The majority OF the votes given repub
ican votes, though many good democrats also afforded
their support TO tho principle OF equal rights Although
tins result seemed SO saddonng and discouragng she
and her associates regarded IL as triumph. For how
many less than they had got in Kansas and there
enough lust men LEFT 70 this country
taken up tho question, and /, was A" 10 be-
voted upon In that state She fully believed that The
ball SGT in motion this question would stop
What she sorry for, however that OF both
parties did not thai the thing TO do to
establish our government on the principle Of the consent
OF the governed They knew the democrats said, sThs
Is white mans government and that put tho white
man above the negro and the woman whie the repub.
caus said, "fhis Is white and black mans 20, ern.
meat thus excluding only the woman. Neither
psrty perceived that the one beautiful thing which
should have been done at the close Of the would
have been to have built the government anew
ani TO have reconstructed Il on The one
sole principle OF jasce-the. consent Of the
governed some indeed at time cried out for
impartial suffrage and universal amnesty, but she would
have liked them 10 have come out more decidedly aud to
at the south, black and white. and the women nj the
north black and white all vote alike" Snc believed II
this had been done all our national questions would
have been scut'ci now. And she hoped that no one
would be shortghtei 10 expect that In govern.
basel upon the consent Of the governed the al
coilred men would heal the troubles Of tnis
nation 80 long as the same sacred right
. wsre denied to million; Of persons whose
Yet, when women asked, demanded, that they should
vote. they were met by the objection ''Now, don't you
think, although this thing Just and right In tho alb
stract yet II It ever practsed should gel,
into great deal OF trouble by ~ Wouldn't II create
rand voted and the wife voted would sometimes in.
decd would oop happen that tho wife would give her
woe 20 one party and TIE husband to ancher and SO
imagined all kinds OF nscurs bstwixt husband and wife
on account o. this difference OF political opinion.
she bad always believed, however, that the
family pescemakcr better than all others would
the ballot because there WAS much power and n1u.
cnce wrapped up In It. she had watched people VINO
trying to get other peoples votes, and had
them come 10 the polls, their faces smiling and unob
scured by the smallest scowl frown and when they
saw the man whose vote they wished 10 catch, thoy
went 10 him with manner 90 bland and addressed
him In tones agreeable. and made such cordial and
earnest inquiries about hts vito and children that she
had frequently imagined the two men must DO first
cousins And the whose vote wanted. de-
lighted by this amsby, could not resist t. for u
good 20 bs spoken kiadiy 70 that no voted perhaps
against bis own interest and the principles Of hts
party. surely they must all that least round
about election time the state OF affairs would pre-
vail between husband aud wife Il the iacr polIti.
csy the equal or her husband and everything IN that
household would be pleasant and agreeable But this OBJ
lection was In respect true. Nsn and women often
had different religious notions bat they respected that
difference and went quietly 70 thor dlreDt churches
II questions OF conscience this possible how
much more possible u when political questions
were nvovedg But then there came up from somebody
IN expressed fear that women would get demoralxed
II they became voters. II perfectly wonderful 10
bear the politicians In regard 90 negro surage