The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-09-07
THE WoM4Ns RIGHTS MoYEAENE.
Preparations for Raid on Congress-
The status of the Woman's Rights
Agftation-The g u estion in all
Branches ofthe Government.


Correspondence OF the Baltimore SUM-
WASHINGTON, September 4.
The leading isms of the country will make a
bold demand upon Congress for recognition
as soon as it assemblies, and will send here the
foremost advocates of their theories. Woman's
rights, national prohibition of the liquor traffic,
and the recognition of God in the constltu-
tion," are all moving advance guards hither-
ward, and accommodating for position. Pro-
fessor Taylor Lewis, who leads the movement
In favor of national religion, will make fly
ing visit here early In the session. A half
dozen delegations Of prohibitionlsts have made
arrangements to come, and last, though far
from least, the advocates of woman's suffrage
will maintain here an able and determined
lobby throughout the whole of the session.
The leaders of this latter movement have
prepared for vigorous onslaught upon all the
branches OF the government at once. They
claim to have substantially won the executive,
as woman's rights are now fully recognized In
the executive departments; but the effort In
this direction will be to secure the appoint
ment Of some woman to a prominent execu-
tive position, at least to the headship of
bureau.
Upon Congress the main pressure will be
brought to bear. The surprising vote In the
House of Representatives upon the motion to
strike the word "male" out of the section OF
the District of Columbia bill regulating suf
frage, has unduly excited the hope of the san
guine and impressbe ladies who lead the
movement, or has at least given them an op-
portunity of impressing uninformed friends of
the movement with the notion that the new
doctrine has now fair chance of being recog-
nized by the national government.
The case for the courts Is already prepared,
and two suits at law for damages have been
entered against certain registrars and commits
sloners OF election for refusing to register or
allow to vote certain ladies who in May last
applied to them for that purpose. The suit
against the registrars is brought by Mrs. Sarah
j. Spencer, and that against the commission
ers of election by Sarah E. Webster. Messrs.
Riddle and Miller have been retained as coun-
sci for the plaintiffs in these causes, and, by
consent of parties, the trial in the Circuit
Court has been waived, and the cases are set
down for argument at the coming general
term OF the Supreme Court of this District,
which begins It's term on the 9th instant. As
yet no appearance has been entered by the
defendants. Should the decision there be ad-
verse, the cases will be carried at once to the
Supreme Court OF the United States, and an
effort made to have them advanced on the cal
endar 80 as to be heard this winter.
The argument In favor of the right, which
will be urged before the general term, Is sub
stantially this: The fOurthteenth amendment
declares that ''all persons born or naturalized
In the United States are subject to the jurlsdlc.
ton thereof, are citizens of the United States,
and OF the States wherein they reside Wo-
men being persons, thus become, by birth or
naturalization, citizens of the United States
and OF the States. In the fourth article of the
constitution ii is declared that ''the citizens
of each State shall be entitled to the rights
and Immunitles Of the citizens of the several
States," and the fourteenth amendment for
bids any State to "make or enforce any law
which shall abridge the privileges or immuni-
ties of citizens Of the United States" That
these constitutional privileges and immuni-
ties" include suffrage was decided in the Cir
cult Court of the District Of Columbia many
years ago, and, remaining unquestioned to
this day, Is to be regarded as decided prlnci-
pio vf tho vvuuu ~h~.e-e- fai~etes meJ on
lst in this argument, 1t is In substance the one
which will be relied upon in the coming argu-
ment.
There will, however, be technical Difficult
ty in procuring decision OF any appellate trl-
bunal upon these cases as they now stand. As
neither the judges nor commissioners OF elec-
ton entered an appearance In the suit, Judg-
ment by default has been taken against them,
and the ordinary method of proceeding would
be too numerous for q jury to assess the dam
ages which the ladies had suffered In the de-
nIal of suffrage alleged In their declaration.
The case having been certified to the general
term under these circumstances, 1t Is difficult
to see how that court can make any decision
at all in the case, and without decision Of the
district general term 1t will be impossible to
carry the case to the Supreme Court OF the
United States. Legal acumen may, however,
discover an unbeaten path for this purpose.
While the question Is before the Executive,
Congress. or the Supreme Court, grand de-
monstration will be made by Womant
Rights Convention, which will meet on the
10th of January ct the Young Mems Christian
Association building. Mrs. Victoria Woodruff
will keep open house during the whole winter,
and thus make social and political centre.
from whence will radlate the ideas that vivity
the<.movement, and where will be arranged
the demonstrations that will, the sanguins
among its friends believe, eyentuate IN its
success.
1t is expected that Miss Anthony Mrs. Bee
cher Hooker, Mrs. Paulina Wright, Ernestine
L. Rose, Mary Jaslin Gage, Miss Cozzens, and
others, will be here during no inconsderab!e
portion ofathe time, while the active support
OF Senator Carpenter, General Butler, Geo.
W. Julians and Others, is relied upon to support
tha m0vampnt