The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-11-26
The Situation.
BY MRS. GOODRICH WILLARD.

Inc woman sulIragtStS nave cOuTted
the republican and democratic parties,
and their suit has been denied.
The preamble and the first resolution
presented at the Woman Suffrage Con-
vention in Boston (Sept. 29) say that,
" whereas the platforms OF the Prohi-
bition and Labor Reform parties are
both silent on the question Of woman
suffrage, resolved, that committee be
instructed TO request the Republican
and Democratic parties to adopt |
woman suffrage as a part Of their plat
forms"
True, the Labor party platforms
have said nothing about woman sut- 1
frage; but nearly all of them contain a 1
declaration which, if possible, is even
more essential than suffrage, namely, /
the right Of every woman to equal pay 4
with men for equal work. Suffrage is
only an incidental thing; it is only a
means to an end, TO acquire and pro-
tect the rights Of labor and property |
When equal rights Of labor and proper
ty are granted, the ballot, the means
for their protection, must inevitably |
follow-a conclusion which the leading
men of the Labor party themselves I'M
derstOod and assert.
In declaring the right Of woman to
equal pay with men for equal work, we
hold that the Labor party has in reali-
ty acknowledged all the cOrrelatlye
rights of woman, including property
and suffrage. Have the Republican or
Democratic parties done as much ?
NAY, on the contrary, some of their
leaders have sought TO shut the open
doors Of the constitution in her face.
III. b. Blackwell says: BY the ad-
mission Of Mary A. Liyermore and Lu-
cy Stone, as delegates to the Republi
can Convention, the principle Of wo-
man suffrage was really recognized.
For if woman may represent one
hundred Republican voters, why may
she not represent herself? The estab-
lishment of this precedent is of meal
culable value"
The Labor party has done much
more than this long before the meeting
Of the Massachusetts Convention. In
August last, the Labor party admitted
women as delegates, not merely to
convention to nominate candidates, but
as delegates TO their annual congress
"a body WHICH met to legislate for,
and to lay down the principles of &C
ton which are to control, the policy of
the party. In this congress women
were received upon equal terms with
men as voters, and as members of
committees, they worked side by side
with them, helping to organize, and
give laws of action to the party.
If | understand Alright, Mrs. Liver
more and Mrs. Stone were not received
by the Republican Convention as Re
publican party delegates, but as woman
suffragists, and had nothing to do with
the real business Of the convention,
namely, the nomination Of Republican
candidates The deeds of the Labor
party have spoken much louder, and
more eloquently, than any words Of
promises, that might be broken, could
/ have done in recognizing the rights of
woman and as if to seal this recog-
milton, a woman was unanimously cho-
sen as one Of the vice-presidents of the
National Labor Union.
In talking with the delegates Of the
Labor Congress, | was surprised and
delighted TO find that a large majority
Of tLtir number, including the most
mature minds, were IN favor If woman
suffrage. This fact is all the more sig
nificant and important, because this
body Of delegates was not sectional, but
national
As an earnest and devoted friend Of
the woman's movement wish to say: |
hope that neither the Republican nor
Democratic parties will ever accept
the woman suffrage plank in their plat
form, unless they will also adopt the
principles that are embodied in tie
platform Of the Labor party.
do not wish to vote with, or TO iol-
low the lead Of, a party that, like the
Democratic, has aided and abetted
those who have laid violent hands on
the integrity Of this great Union of
States, and who buy ard sell their
votes with whiskey, unless they change
there principles and their conduct
hope that the women of this nation
Will never follow the lead of party
that carries its measures by lobbvism
and log rolling ] hope and pray that
they may never give there votes to a
party who persist in giving away the
public land without the consent OF
those to whom it rightfully belongs !;
who persist in delegating the power to
make and manage our money to soullcss
corporations called bankers, thereby
delegating the power To control our ex-
changes and finances to irresponsible
men power intrusted by the people
solely to It's responsible servant, the
Congress of the United States. Such
action is not only unconstitutional, but
very great wrong to the people.
hope and pray that the votes of
women will never 90 to swell the DOW
er of party that lends or sells its SER
vices to build up gigantic monopolies !;
that use their great power of wealth to
control the government, rcgadless
of the best interest Of the
great body Of the people;
power that will not hesitate to tram
pie under foot all that free people hold
most dear and sacred.
Before the war, the people, by reius-
ing to vote the Democratic ticket, is
sued decree against cheap or unpaid
slave labor; but the leaders of the Re
publican party, thus brought into pow
err, would never have obeyed that de-
cree if the necessities Of the war had
not forced it upon them. Let us not
forget this. 1t is very absurd for the
leaders of the Republican partyto claim
the undyiDg thanks Of the people for
reluctantly performing an act that was
literally forced upon them. The whole
course Of the Republican party, from
first TO last, is proof enough that the