, 1870-07-21
WOMAN SUFFRAGE IN CON
NECTICUT.
A Committee Report in Its EnTor-
Minority Report.

Minority Report.
Two reports we're submitted to the Counec-
ticut Legislature at New Haven. last Thurs-
day. from Joint Committee gu Woman Suf-
fragc. 4 petition had been referred to this
committee atling for an amendment to tho
constitution in favor Of woman suffrage. On
the 'th Of last mouth q hearing was given to
various champions Of the cause and some Of
iss opponents N the Houae OF Representatives
before large audience. Later public neet-
i.1gs Of the committee hase also attracted
much attention, and the subject llas been e1-
citing considerable interest in tho state. The
majority Of the commlttce-the vote stood
tive to fotI-report III favor Of tho amend.
mont aekld. and propose the following, form
Evsry white citizen OF the rnitssi States With
are Of u years, whu shall have resI.letl in th,s
stote fur tezul At Que year next preceding, a.,,
III the town tn which such citizen may Apply To
!c2s, SIX months next preceding thu time u suca
application. an! shall be able to rcai any article
q the constitution. or an! sect!on Of the statutes
actcr, shall, on taktnT such oath as mAy be pre-
sc!tttti By law, bct ONE an eleelor.
The majority, in trying TO sustain their re-
sronsiballtF.' The fifth commandment, AZ
gwen in Lerit'eu7, is quoted: ''Ye shall free
tyery man his mother and his father Here
the mother is placed on perfect equality with
the father nnder Gods law. In our
evil law, however. young man il
placed ahoye his mother. and may
even 1egislate about her properly
and her person without her consent. T1uo
~omarhootl, ~ true maualooJ, depends upon
personal rtrroneiiitits, and woman ehJnld
no longer he held IN special subjcction to
Law, nor te specially protected hy Law, but
the state and for their administration equally
with man. set,onalyy. it is claimcd that
political consistency reqnircd the enfrau-
cl1lseMent OF WOMAN
lly commOu consent, women are acknowl-
edged to be ''cltizeus of this Democratic
"retponsible" citizens. Thirdly. ''responsi-
1slsty devolves power" The apparent inca.
I asity OF women for the solution Of political
problems il owing to the non-use o! their
faculties in that direction. Fourthly, saye the
report, "tbe plain and ordinary n incip1er OF
justice require that wUnlan should be enflau-
chieed." She has the same interests in tue
government as mau h1s, she ia often tax
r4ycr, and she is now entering npon 30 mAns
pursuits that q considerable part OF the busi-
ness Of the community will be in her hands.
Lastly. the irresponsible influence Of woman
much influence without the ballot, and that
influence il irresponsible. The re-
Port than reviews ani answers what
seem to the writer's the i've chief objections
of the opponents Of woman trnrage, ~ fol-
lows: /. 4 supposed natural capacity in man
to govern, ani corresponding incapacitY IN
woman; ?. 4 fear that woman will undergo !
change fatal to true womahood; 8. The
| State rests upon force, and women, il IN I
| majority. might pass Lars which they would
haze no power to enforce: L. Women
ought not TO yote, becaAee nos wiling to fight.
5. Voting implies offce-hold:ng. and the FAM
ily would suffer by the Withdrawal Of wotnau
| from the home circle. Each of these objec-
| tlons the report answers At some length Aa
| to the hsst. mans apparently special capacity
Of his experience IN governing. In
former days his phssiel power was
necessary 10 government. ana 60 women wc1e
PLACED ia the background. new era OF intel
fgence in government hiss nov come. The
=econa objecsian psesupposes that Tomtn' Z
nature Is purely thing Of circumstances
NomAn's nature comes from God As mans
does. She alone must develop tbst nature
and ~he should have perfect freedom OF cLo,ct
in doing 80. In regard TO the basis Of tht
State on force and the fighting objection
the majority think practically. in . free gov
e1nlaeutit il not true that the State rest.
upon force It rests upon the hearts and in
sereets Of its cittzens. II wAEs nanst come
wotuan may he - good ''soldler" oy work
ing in the hospital. where she alone il conpe
tent, u man i in the deld. The holding
objection, The wEiters think, Is wesk -. ope ,,s
|
Local rnaiotities viii elect each Officer.
shesher men OF wouen, ~ will be best ftte,
to attend to the duties thereof. Women nat
urally love their children, and the instances i
which they desart them for public Office vi
| be r4re.
4 The minority report pays, first, that til
! change proposed should cot be made unless
. majority of women desire suffrage. y
! evidence Of this Is before the coz
, mittee- On the contrary, there seeus to be
strong feeling aeainat the change among th
. | women Of the State. Il the advocates ct u
: mems should force it on the majority OF th
sex opposed to it, they would be dosu
the majority N injustice. secondl;
= made without sufficient .easoua. The chang
would give the ballot to thousands {
ignorens wouen- The "a Sc objection uAy
q spilled to men, but why duplicate the evils
/ The Creatar made WOMAN - sex unit Il
;. public aud political life. She has peculiar d,
It abIlities- It would be impossible 70 preser
II her domestic influence il che came in
5, political coptac: With man. Such \ rtI
/. edy for the eyila Of the SEX il de
II parzte one. Il ia better to enact statutes
r the further protection ct woman. Third
the chAuge ia not demanded By the higheet
q, | teEesta Of Eumen- One roaeon given n
! women should have the night Of suffrage
u that al moral md eocial reforms would mo
p on Ut more rapid pace, The temperaI
% moFenent Is often cited It is claimed Il
I'd liquor saloons would be shut up. Iegislsti
r does nat cure any evils unless the legislAtinI
Against liquor selling in the community
he | etsingent enough It present. II women
I'd desired they could 60 mold and frAHe =
X IN. Lie apfcioD that on1T m Ii TtpT R1QHM