Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-02-09

for claimant never looses courage. The
government will pay sometime. and every
claim legalized by special enactment is q
precedent for all of its class.
A SIGNIFICANT FEATURE OF IEeIsLA.
during the past week in the House has
len the repeal of the Test Oath. On
Wednesday the bill was reported by Mr..
Butler from Committee on Reconstruction.
and spirited debate followed. The bill
met with spirited resistance, mainly from
parties who were already identified as nm
compromising opponents of everything
savoring of liberal policy for the South.
The leading minds of all parties appreci-
ate the inconsistency of longer imposing
political disabilities upon few rebels in
the South, when there is no imperative
demand for it, and the policy in itself is
80 obnoxious to the spirit of our govern
ment 1t was claimed in debate and, that
too by republicans like Mr.. Dawes and
Mr.. Garfield, that the test oath
was of little value in the suppress.
sion of hostilities in the South,
and by many it was regarded as one OF
the exciting causes of outrage Mr.. Platt
of Virginia, favored the removal of all
disabilities, as the Republican party had
only gained victory in his State by raising
the banner of general amnesty, and Mr..
Bingham demanded the repeal of the test
oath in the name of the whole people.
The bill finally passed by vote of 11S to
49, The idea once prevalent that the fu-
ture safety of the government can only be
secured by the punishment of few wick
ed and repentant rebels. that by means OF
proscript the South is to be bonded or
mortgaged, SO to speak, to ensure future
good behavior, is daily losing ground,
and people entertain the sage conclusion,
that the governments future is in the
hands of the whole people, and by their
action will stand or fall.
FEMALE SUFFRAGE
ia being discussed pro and con, aud that
too by women of the metropolis. Like
every other reform (if such it be- it is and
has been embarrassed by it's overzealous
and often inconsistent champions. Thor
oughly aroused women are beginning to
drop off the fence and commit themselves
upon the question one way or the other.
Women of prominence and women of OBJ
sourity have petitioned Congress not to
impose upon the unwilling many duties
desired only by few. The efforts
of Mrs. Woodruff and others, before the
Judiciary committee of the House, asking
the enactment of a law granting uuiver-
sal suffrage upon the authority of the con-
stitution as interpreted by them was not
a success, nor was it a total failure. They
failed to make the point desired, and thus
secure a general law granting women
suffrage, but the committee recognised
the oonstitutionality of such a measure
provided by the fourteenth and fifteenth
amendments. They affirm substantially
that while there is nothing in the oonsti-
tuition of the United States antagonistic
to women suffrage, if enacted by the State
laws. that general law would be uncon-
stitutional in that it would infringe upon
State rights. The friends of the measure
will therefore find their remedy in their
Sc ,eral State legislatures, and in applying
to them have the assurance of the judici-
airy committee as to it's eonstitutionality.
Friends and foes of the measure will
alike rejoice that the question is receiving
general attention. Questions of snoh i'm
mense magnitude, potent for good or evil,
should be viewed from all points, and
upon all sides, and if reform can be at
tanned in this direction let it be demand
ed, as great reforms always are. by the
mighty will of the people. X.