National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-01-10
THE SUFFRAGE QUESTION.
AEETING OF THE WASHINGTON As
S0CIATION YESTERDAY.

NEW PHASE OF THE SUBJECT-CoNSTI
TUTIoNAL AMENDMENTS TO BE IGNoREI
AND THE OPINION OF THE DISTRICT
SUPREME COURT TO BE MADE THE BASIS
FOR FUTURE WORK.
A meeting of the ladies Of this city Identified
with the suffrage movement was held yesterday
In the lecture-room Of the Young Mems Christian
Association, with Mrs. Sara ]. Spencer In tht
chair. The meeting was called for the purpose Of
consultation and arriving at some definite plan Of
action before the meeting Of the national conven
tiou, which assemblies next week. The attend
ance was confined to the ladies who attempted to
register last year, and q few of the more promi
nent gentlemen friends of the movement.
Mrs. Spencer, in calling the meeting 70 order
stated Its object, and said that she had for some
time past been In consultation with the leading
jursts and lawyers Of the District as to the best
course to be pursued in their application to Con.
gress for the right Of suf rage.
The first proposition was to petition for an
amendment to the fife nth amendment of the
Constitution, by inserting the word '.sex," and
the second was to petition for such legislation as
would be necessary 20 give effect TO existing
laws on the subject They had been informed BY
all with whom they spoke that the decision OF
in the case Of Spencer against q certain Judge Of
pending on appeal in the United States Supreme
cial opinion ever given on the subject and al.
though decided against her, was tho groundwork
for an easy and simple attainment OF the object
the portion Of the opinion bearing directly on the
subject, a. read by Chief Justice Cartier:
giving ssp5sssiSSn 70 my SMD !aSgmsSn;s this
The provision ends with the declaration Of their
does not execute itself. It is the creation Of .
constitutional condition that requires the super
yention Of legislative power in the exercise OF
Legislative discretion to give It effect"
Several speeches were made by ladies present,
and II was fully explained that an act Of Congress
In consonance with the suggestion Of the opinion
was BY far tine easiest method OF arriving 1t the
goal.
resolution was then presented and adopted
that the local Women's Suffrage Association petit
ton Congress to enact o law granting the right Of
suffrage to women in the District Of Columbia IN
accordance with existing law as shown in the deci-
The following committee Of ten was appointed
to prepare the petition and present it to Congress-
Sara ]. Spencer, Belva A. lockwood, Susan A.
Riddle, Francis Miller. o. b. Barrett, and A. W.
Schsrft.
It is the intention Of the society to submit the
ton, but it win be presented to Congress as q
purely local matter, backed up, however, with all
the outside influences which can be brought to
bear. The ladies feel sanguine that success will
crown their efforts, and that 1t will thus extend
the franchise in all the Territories. That much
gained, they argue, that as Congress; the supreme
granted the right in all the territory over which
II has exclusive control, the several State legis-
latures will speedily follow its example.
During her remarks Mrs Spencer incidentally
said that several Congressman had told her that
If she would sbandOn her position on the suffrage
question and devote all her energies to the estab
Ishment Of the Girls Reform school, she could
get very liberal appropriations from Congress.
To this she replied that, go far as she was con-
cerned, the Reform school should be dropped en-
tirsly, but the suffrage fight must go on to its
ultimate success. Then, when women had voice
in electing Legislators, they could help to elect
such as would vote them appropriations for such
laudable institutions
The meeting was entirely harmonious, and i'd
journed strong In the belief that the end Of their
prescription was near at hand.