The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1872-06-21

From the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.l
Woman Suffrage in the New York Leg
islature.
EXTRACTS FROM Az ADDRESS BEFORE THE
LOWER HOUSE BY MRS CHARoLTTE h. VIII
BOUR.
You, who have enfranchised the poor
bondman with the dust of 200 years of
bondage on his brow, and found the SAL
walton Of the republic in the daring
operation, will not so insult the intelli-
gence of your mothers, wives, and /
daughters, with all their varied gifts
and accomplishments, as to deny the
ballot on the ground of incapacity.
But women do not want the ballot, /
says the gentleman who knows. No,
there are some women who never
want what can be given them without
expense, never ask any one to be mag
unanimous without cost. But some
women want it, or we should not be
here before this honorable tribunal,
pleading cause that we have sOlemnly
determined to abide by in all earnest
ness to the happy end. More than 1OO,-
600 women in this State want to vote,
as their names on petitions and memo
rials for the rights of suffrage, to this
very Legislature during the past twenty
i've years, attest, rs well as the many
hundred thousands sent to the Congress
of the United States and the various
State Legislatures over all the North
and the West. Wherever women think
about it at all they want to vote. But
when have the male representatives of
all the nations in the round globe in this
country been asked if they wanted the
ballot? Who asked the contraband if
L.. sr,l -, ...,I - Of
them ever petitioned for the glorious
liberty you have thrust upon them.
The student crazy with his old world
lore does not want the ballot, but YOU
protter il to him freely; half the clergy
men in this country are either absolutely
aVerse to the privilege or are quite in
different to using il, and vet, should YOU
dlsfranchise either student or clergy
= man, you would come near to creating
a storm of revolution.
The thousands of retiring politicians,
studious or cultured people who absent
themselves from the polls, are not made
. use of as protest against popular gov
ernment, but are themselves under re-
buke for their neglect Of free mans
) duty; and doubt not that the accession
! of so much grace and virtue and instinc-
tive decorum as women Will bring "a
/ the polls will call out that disguised
, timid or fastidious element, and even
the masculine vote will be bettered by
it. q,
Too many genuine good people loOh
upon this whole question rs the opening
, OF a new apOcalyptic seal, letting loose 3
reckless host of discOntented, distorted
disorderly women, to desecrate our dear
est relations and devastate our homes
and firesides; persons ambitious at no
toriety, but undiscerning icOnoclasts
deficient i'm principles, methods or con
sanguinity. Even the marriage rela'
tion is supposed to be invaded and so
cial ties held loosely. All this because o.
the foolish words of some few who have
in their chaotic brains and unbalanced
minds confounded suffrage with all the
t questions in morals and religion anC
I social life that belong to this revolution
airy age.
The charge of desecration is true a
lar as they are concerned; but, friends
: you do not well understand the mora
e status of the women i'm this State if yoI
Tor a moment believe that they vii
. brook any relaxing of the demands o
y Social purity; any weakening OF the lie