The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1871-11-03
The Republican Convention.


Last week, on behalf of Woman Suf-
frage Republicans, we appealed to the
Republican party Of Massachusetts, to
give us Woman Suffrage platform and
a Woman Suffrage candidate.
The Republican State Convention has
responded by giving us a non-committal
but not unfriendly resolution in the
platform, and candidate who is not
publicly committed either in our favor
or against Us, bnt whose private views
upon the subject we have not vet been
able TO ascertain.
Woman Suffrage has undoubtedly
achieved a very important and useful
political victory, in compelling the
withdrawal Of Hon. Harvey Jewell from
| the canvass, and in inducing the substi-
tuition Of gentleman whose record upon
this vital question is not positively OBJ
jectionable. The public exposure Of
Seaker JewelPs record i'm regard TO
Woman Suffrage was sufficient to make
his nomination and election, under eX-
isting circumstances, morally impOssi-
bic. Let politicians take warming by the
example.
OF the three candidates who were un-
derstOod to be friendly to our movement.
Messrs. Butler, LOring and Rice, each
failed to secure the nOmiantion for va
rious public and private reasons quite
/ foreign to their views on suffrage. In
deed, the sympathy and support ex-
tended by these gentlemen to our reform
/ undoubtedly strengthened each of them
more or less, and would have done so
still more if the struggle had been pro-
lOnged in the Convention.
The proceedings Of the Convention
upon the direct question of suffrage were
brief, and appear still more so i'm conse-
quence of the imperfect reports i'm the
newspapers. The Boston Journal il the
only city paper that publishes the text
of the Woman Suffrage Memorial, or
that gives Gen. Henry Briggs and the
citizens Of Pittsfield the credit of offer
ing a resolution in its support. Neither
the Boston Post nor the Worcester Spy
so much as alludes to the subject
In his admirable address as chairman
of the Convention, Hon. George +. Hoar
of Worcester made the following capital
statement
The republic implies, as / understand,
two things: lst, absolute equality, 50
that the government expresses the
choice of the whole people. This
only Is self-government, the highest
act, whether of the individual or
the State. Every other is government
of one part Of the people by another
which in the end is bad and degrad-
ing for both. / know that i'm this
matter, to convince the public, judgment
must precede statutes, constitutions or
even party platforms. But, while /
have no right to speak for every one of
you, your having placed me here gives
me the right to say for myself that
until every human being Of full age, of
whatever condition i'm life and of what
ever sex, has his or her equal voice in
framing the laws which are to govern
the State of which he or she forms a
part; until the woman helps regulate the
public education of the child; until. i'm
deciding the question which YOU submit
yearly TO your tOwns-whether the hus-
[ band or the son may lawfully be tempted
] by strong drink-the wish of the wife
and the mother is counted, your republic
and your republicanism are incomplete:
until you endeavOr to accomplish this.
your Republican party has not fully
vindicated its title TO its august name.
Great applause).
Immediately after the appointment of
the Committee on Resolutions, Charles
w. Slack, ESD, presented the following
MEMORIAL OF THE MASSACHUSETTS
WOMAN SUFFRAGE ASSOCIATION.
To the Republican, Party Of lGassacb,t-
sets, az State COaUeRtion assembled =
The Massachusetts Woman Suffrage
Association respectfully request the Re
publican party of Massachusetts,, i'm
State Convention assembled, To adopt a
resolution affirming the right of women
to the elective franchise under our form
OF government, and TO take such other
measures as in its Judgment seems best
calculated 10 enable the women of
massachusetts 10 exercise this right.
women have the same personal and 1
property rights as men. They should
nave the same power to protect their /
rights. In republican government
seli-protection takes the political form of
suffrage.
Women pay taxes, and should have a
voice IN the amount and expenditure of
taxes.
Women obey laws, and should have n
voice in their enactment.
impartial suffrage for men and women
VIII prove the only effectual safeguard of
individual rights and personal liberty
the only practical guarantee against
corrupt political combinations and class
legislation.
The Memorial was received with con-
siderable applause. The Chairman en-
Iulred whether it was Mr.. Slack's desire
mat IL should be read. He replied in
he negative, on the ground that ii had
'lready been extensively distributed ,
1mong the delegates i'm printed form.
We regret that it was not read, because
many of the delegates had not seen it,
Ten. Henry Briggs of Pittsfield then
AID Mr. Chairman-At a numerous
I!.d 5nd respectable meeting of citizens of
l1tsieid, men and women, convened T.
..onslder the question of Woman Su r
% I"ge, '5 we, their delegates, were request Cd
= ;o,' use our Influence to secure a reso In
~ Ion IN IN iavor of Woman Suffrape i'm ~
,ccor4aln 'r1cloLn oi the Republican party. In
oo',a au'.lice with that resolution = -,
Iesiro =, 70 oher a resolution, VIII icb
m PIatSarlSS nave E, referred to the Com n1ittae
ollows : e resolution was as
Hesofred, That the Republic an Marty