Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-02-10
Woman Suffrage.

ErOu our w asnlngIon papers we nOtlce
that at the Universal Suffrage Associa-
tion holden in that city last Saturday
evening, Albert ID. Hager, one of the
officers of the Vermont Association, was
recognized in the audience by the Presi-
dent of the meeting and requested to adj
vance to the platform and inform the
audience what was being done in Ver-
mont for the cause of Woman Suffrage.
He responded that he was not expect
ing to be called upon to speak, but he
would do so briefly. Vermont, he said,
was not large State, nor fast one, that
there was probably smaller per centage
of fast young men, and less of young
America there than in any other State !;
still, Vermont was not always behind, but
in the progress of events was sometimes
found in the front ranks, She was the
first to be added to the original thirteen
States. Her sons, at Bennington, were
the first to defeat the soldiers of Great
Britain in the Revolution. Vermont was
the first to send forth regiment when
the President called for 100000 more
men, and he had heard it intimated that
Vermont soldiers were as reliable as any
that went to the N ar and he believed they
were the first that checked Lee at Gettys-
burg. Vermont was the first to fire a
loud election gun for President Grant
after his nomination, and he believed she
would be the first State to restore to
woman the right of franchise. He was
great demonstrations, made by those favor
ing woman suffrage, for the question had
not been much agitated in the State.
There had been no uprising of the women
demanding this, but he thought he knew
the character of the people. They were a
liberty loving, Democratic people, who had
profound respect for justice and equal
rights. They had always been abolition
lists in principle and practice, for the time
never was that they could not have law
fully had colored man for Governor or
member of Congress. Negro slavery
never had a foothold there.
He said, that by constitutional provision,
thirteen men were elected once in seven
years, and, among other things, it was
their duty to recommend to the people
any amendments TO the constitution which
being of the State. An election of this
kind was held last year. Thirteen good
men were selected ont of the two political
parties and met in council without
instructions. The friends of woman's
rights did not know the opinion of
but few, if any, composing this Council
of Censors. They were not selected be-
cause they were the adherents of any
party or policy but because they were
good, sensible, honest, well-informed men.
On mature deliberation, nine of these
thirteen men were induced to vote in
favor of submitting to the people of the
State the proposition of woman suffrage.
This was not done because they were APP
pealed to by women, but by sense of
justice.
They knew, full well, that there is not
on the face of the earth a people that
possessed greater amount OF virtue,
morality and intelligence than the women
of Vermont. They knew that many of
these were taxed, and all of them made
subject to the laws of the land. They
considered it right that the women of the
State should have voice in the enact
ment and execution of the laws, if they
desire it, and in case all should not desire
it, but portion should, they thought it
would be unjust to deprive such as wanted
it, merely because others were Indifferent
to it. The question is now before the
people and is being discussed, and will
be decided in June next
A State Universal Suffrage Association
has been formed, numbering among its
members, some of the best members in
the State. They asked no woman to take
an Office in the organization. Men had
enacted the laws that had deprived women
of the ballot, and it was men only who
could decide the question whether that
right shall be restored to them, and it was
but an act of justice and right that men
only should be the ones to correct the
wrongs that had been done. There is
scarcely man in the State who has not
such respect for justice that he would be
unwilling to deprive the widowed mother,
who pays heavy tax, from saying how
that tax should be applied in the educa-
ton of her children. There are but a
very few intelligent men in the State who
would not restore the franchise to the
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