The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1872-06-14
MY VOTING EXPERIENCE.
DALLAS, Polk county, Oregon,
Inrnn y 1870

EDITOR NEw NORTHWEST:
Last Monday was one Of Oregon's
lovely days.
After my usual round of morning du-
ties, feeling very patriotic, l concluded
that L would throw on my hat and
shawl and step over 10 the Court House
and vote for the candidates of my
choice, as every body else seemed to be
doing. So, in company with one of my
neighbors, Mrs. Hagood, / proceeded
to the polls, ticket in hand. When
within some fifty yards of the spot
where American citizens exercise their
most sacred rights, we discovered a
crowd of gentlemen standing around
the window of the County Judges Office,
some of whom were talking very loud
and somewhat boisterous, but as we
neared the place everything became
quiet and peaceful. Not a profane,
harsh or disrespectful word was heard.
We were received with congratulations
from friends who stood near. As we
stepped upon the platform the crammed
mast generously and gentlemanly gave
way, and We proceeded directly to the
window where the sovereigns of Dallas
precinct pass in their ballots. A board
Of goOd-looking men were sitting at a
table inside, who of course constituted
the judges and clerks of election, and
who were the legally constituted Judi
cial tribunal to decide upon the qualif-
cation of applicants. At first glance the
faces of this tribunal with some of
whom we were personally acquainted)
presented a mixed look of pleasure and
surprise, but they maintained their iu-
dicial dignity in manner commenda-
BILE. We demanded our right to vote
under the laws of our country as they
now appear upon the statute books. We
did not go to beg, but to demand our
rights. Our votes were received and
registered without objection, and we re-
turned home after an absence Of perhaps
forty minutes, and found the roses
blooming in the front yard as sweetly
as when we left; the old castle was still
standing undisturbed, and no one in
jured, to our knowledge; and at twelve
o'clock dinner was on the table rs usual,
prepared by our own hands. We delib-
erately came to the conclusion which
resulted in the exercise of our political
rights from an examination of the laws
upon the subject, which seem very sim
pie and plain, using those words only
which could convey the idea of Repub-
lican form of government.
1t seems that up to the passage of the
Fourteenth Amendment no law has
ever been passed by the Congress Of the
United States fixing the qualification OF
a citizen i'm this country; and so we find
that Webster defines the word citizen
in the United States to mean one who
has the privilege of exercising the
elective franchise. That Amendment
which is now part Of the Constitution
of the United States, declared "that all
persons born or naturalized i'm the Unit
ed States, and subject to the Jurisdiction
thereof, are citizens Of the United States,
and of the State wherein they reside -
Here, then, we have as fixed by the
highest authority the qualifications of
the citizen. Now, the Constitution of
Oregon declares, Sec. 20, Bill of Rights.
that ''nO law shall be passed granting TO
any citizen, or class of citizens, privi-
leges or immunities which upon the same
terms shall not equally belong to all
citizens" 1t follows, then, if a woman
is citizen of Oregon, and the laws OF
Oregon have extended to male citizens
the right to vote, that right under the
Constitution belongs equally to the fe-
male citizens. BY what authority, now,
must modestly ask, is it contended
that we have no right to vote? There
is no escape from the conclusion, unless
it can be successfully maintained that
women are not persons. If this last po-
sition be true, then we yield the contro-
versy, not otherwise; but it is not true,
and can only be maintained by the de-
cisions of courts who shall take the re-
sponsibility to override law and good
sense by arbitrary legislation upon the
bench; if the words, ''all persons" dc
not include women in this case, then in
all other cases where the same phrase
occurs in the law, i'm the absence of any
qualifying words, women of course are
also included. If this is the construc-
ton, then, by the same reasoning, wom-
en- i'm Oregon are not liable for any
crime they may choose TO commit, and
Mrs. Fair, for the murder of Crittenden,
ought to be discharged from custody, for
it is notorious that the same phrase is
used throughout the whole criminal
code Of both Oregon and California.
But, says the objector, your reasoning
would include infants and idiots. We
answer, the objection itself has no foun-
dation in fact, for the law excludes both
in both sexes. How beautifully the
laws would read as they now stand with
the construction placed upon them by
the opponents of human rights. Here
it is: No woman, however great heI
wisdom, intelligence and education,
shall have the right TO vote.
Naturalization laws as amended In
1870: "Be it enacted by Senate and
House of Representatives Of the United
States in Congress assembled, That the
naturalization laws are hereby extended
to aliens of African nativity and to per-
sons Of African descent.n Africa, with