The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1873-06-27


about to say that ilf. the earliest ages,
governments were patrlarchal = then
came tribes, and these were followed
suecessively by kingdoms, empires and
desDotisms. Man was under the con-
trolling principle that Might makes
Right. But in what condition was the
female - Had she had her rights?
No; she was slave. Aftera time came
limited monarchias, and meanwhile she
was reaching more exalted station in
the eyes of mankind. Man was becOm-
ing more enlightened, and woman began
to be recognized as his equal. Now, in
the nineteenth century, she is acknowl-
edged not only his equal in intellect,
but his superior in moral sensibility.
We can no longer question her right 10
vote. The Government needs her sup
port. So long as she does not exercise
the franchise, our political system is
not strictly Republican, though we have
have admitted Indians to the exercise of
the ballot. Who is it that we disfran-
chise? Our mothers, our daughters and
our wives Go with me to yonder cot
tage. Its fence is so dilapidated that it
stands perhaps at an angle of 45 degrees;
the whole place is wTetched and neg
lected. Within it a fearful woman,
surrounded by her ragged babes; a
drunken husband persecUtes her. Has
she, sir, no right to go to the polls and
protect herself against the miserable sOt
who rules the household? ? The idea
that she has not is but an heirloom
handed down through years of stOlid ad-
hesion to a custom. For my part, am
| in favor of granting the ballot not only
to the Indians, negroes and foreigners,
n 4 -
/ Mr. Ferguson-"Mr. Chairman, had
not intended to say anything on this
question, but feel constrained to after
what I have heard. i am opposed to
! bestowing on the women of America the
elective franchise. 1t would be likely
to be exercised by the vile and vulgar,
while the more respectable would re-
I gard il as a responsibility which they
would prefer to have others assume.
Most of them would say to their hus-
bands, You go to the polls and east my
vote for me- Sir, l believe that the
history of the human race shows that
woman was created for a different
sphere from that of man. Now, sir,
believe that woman was created to dis
charge the household duties, while man
was made to give her home. Woman
was created TO beautify that home, and
make it attractive; she was created tC
be n mother. Man was made to swing
the cradle. Uproarous applause anO
: confusiOn.l Mr.. Chairman, / believe
that if women were To exercise the
elective franchise, it would detract from
their beauty lgrOans and irOnical ap-
plausel from what God intended they
should be. II is fact which any man
and woman will bear me out i'm assert
ing, that nothing is so desirable, both fol
the female and the male, as to gain the
love of the opposite sex. Mans mo-
tives ale continually guided by the
power behind the thrOne-woman. II
she rightly manages her home, heI
power to control the exercise of the bal
lot is greater than if she held it within
her own grasp. With all this i'm view,
| should not even have been afraid tC
vote for the resolution, because l be-
lieve that when the electors go to the
polls to decide upon the proposed
amendment, they will, in a measure,
carry out the wishes of their mothers,
sisters and wives, and that the votes OF
the men will be an indirect expression
of the will of the women in this mat
ter.n
Mr.. Cady Dem advocated the reso-
} luton.
, Mr.. Bartholomew-"AIr Chairman, ]
have just sent one of the boys around to
. take the expression of the ladies present
on this question. | read you his foot
ings: 81 ladies are in favor of the resolu-
ton, and only IA against it."
, \ roar of applause, and shouts for
Mr.. Caplis-'Mr. Chairman, ac-
knowl-u
Mr.. Burns-'If the Chairman will al
/ low me, would move that the gentle
man himself be allowed to pass around
the hat, and take the vote of the ladies. u
! [Laughter.l
Mr.. Caplis-'I was about to say thai
seem to have been wrong, and mas
I much as | have been mistaken, l shal
I shall-vote for the resolution y
Laughter and applause
Mr.. Perry-'Trhis leaves me in n very
> sad fix. l made the motion to strike
: out, mainly, to draw out discussion
hardly knowing myself what side
> should take. Still / think | shall sup
port my own motion, and | had expected
to have at least one backer. Now, Mr.
. Chairman, have not one word to say
: !. as to the right of the matter-and the
; general principle-nor about the relation
: of the sexes, for / know nothing abou
it. But l think there are questions il
: legislation in which something beyOnC
i absolute right is to be considered. w
have not reached that standard from
y which we can legislate exclusively oil
: the basis of abstract right. l think, in
e deed, that il might be eXpedient to senI
y out the resolution among the people
i We have only Just admitted women t
e the counting houses and colleges. Hav,
D we educated them to that point of indie
7 pendence and self-reliance when theI
!; will cast the ballot independently?
can't say whether I should be justified
r in voting for or against the resolution
but am sure that the people would no
J, ratify our action if we carried it, and /
5 would therefore occasion an useless eX
o pense to submit the question to them
e When the women have become indie
e pendent and self-reliant, then, and no
!. before, will vote for the resolution"
n Mr.. Lockwood-"I shall vote for strik
g ing out. There is no special occasion t
say anything, but the gentleman from
o Tuscola (Mr Hoyt) seems to think if |
- man is opposed to this measure, he mus
t make windmill of himself. Now,
/ am opposed to the whole thing. l be
V lieve it is antagonistic TO the first prin
ciples of our government, in the frs
s place. The General Government /
IS composed of States; those States ar
/. made up mainly of cities and other mu
II inequalities, and all these individua
il governmental organizations are more O
t less independent of each other, but tn
J. whole system is founded on the famil
compact which must be preserved i
i perfect integrity. II such an element {
It discord is brought into it, as woul
\. be introduced by the different exercis
II Of the ballot by different members :