Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1871-03-02
tgrom the Zanesyille Courierl
WOBTAN's RIGHTS.
A Woman 10 the Rescue-Iear Her
for Her Cause.
RoKEBY, Feb. 2OlG, 1871

hOKEBY, FeD, 2OiD, 1871.
Presumiag on past indulgence ]
ask a present favor to say a few
words on the great question Of the
day, "Wonan's Rights" 1t is but
lately that we have come in pos.
session of the knowledge, that we
have any rights, politically speak
ing. Aud now that the scales have
fallen from our eyes it behooyes us
to strike Jas Nopoleon Bonaparte
once said, while the pear Is ripe, J
not for empire but for individual
sovereignty, the natural heritage
of every American citizen. Wien
Negro Suffrage was under discus
sion, an old Vallandigbam Demo
crat said to me 1.-THE negroes have
no right to vote, they have never
produced anything and they have
10 talent or genius, not even com.
mon sense to recommend them"
We are all aware that by such tai
ented argument the Democratic
party defeated Negro suffrage ip
the state of Ohio. Now no man
can refuse Woman the right of
suffrage on that plea, because the
splendid array Of feminine talent
aud genius forbid fuch impudence.
But they may do as the Democrats
did in the case Of uegrO suffrage ::
appeal to the ignorance and preju-
dice Of the people, parade lhree
hundred fashionable lay figures and
have the eRrontery to say they
represent the thousands of noble,
earnest women WHO claim their
rights as citizens TO have a voice
in making the laws that governs
them and taxes their property. Is
it fear of reform ir the political
arena that deters those wise men
from granting our just claim to the
ballot? or, is Woman really the
controlling element at Washington
city. l hope our worthy statesmen
will not be coaXed and coerced (byI
those three hundred fair ones out
of their line of duty Woodruff
and Clafiin's weekly informs all
such shallow statesmen that they
were not sent there to legislate for
their wives and daughters. IfCoE-
gress remains stocially silent to the
appeals that have been made them,
that they are already under petit
coat government will be one con-
clusion that may be safely arrived
at. By the fourteenth and fifteenth
articles OF amendment to the Coz i
stitution Woman is already enfran-
chised. But great invention often
er occurs by accident than other
wise. Perhaps to that fact we may
attribute these amendments, as the
men that framed them don't seem
to understand them the way theyi
read, with the "rights" and ''immu
mites" Of citizens properly defined.
But we will exercise our right of
suffrage in the destruction of the
great evils of our land and nation,
to the great good of its citizens.
/ think we could make a better
regulation in the pay system of our
working women. But this is touch
ing on a subject (IiEe the fifteenth
amendment, J that is unlimited and
could not be discussed in a short
article. That we will reform things
in general will be seen when we
have secured the ballot. The ques-
tion now is are we citizens or
not? If VIC are citizens, we are
enfranchised; if not. we are a
nonertity- nothing just think Of
that, ladiesl We, like Hamlet may
exclaim: ITO be or not be that's
the question: