New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-06-05
FEMALE SUFFRAGE AS A FEDERAL CUES
TON.

to organize the government of this Terri
tory, Mr.. Sargent, Senator from that LAM
8 OF advanced ideas-California- t
amend the bill by extending to women tn
| | right to vote and hold Office in the Terri
tory. This brought up expressions o
opinion from prominent Senators, some o
whom ayowed faith in the moral useful
ness of female suffrage, and pledged them
, selves to aid in giving it experimental
effect
The vote upon the merits of this new
institution was startling; there were nine.
teen votes for the amendment and twenty.
nine against it. But of these nineteen,
there were many representative and pow
erful men, such as Carpenter, Chandler,
Flanagan, Morton and Window.
The consideration of female rights in
this connection brings up again the pro-
position discussed with the Picayuae. We
do not agree with Senator Stewart that
the right of suffrage is natural right,
because if it were it would be no more
limited than any other such natural right,
such as the rights of life and freedom.
We have assumed the right of majority
Of the adult human beings to form an as
ISOLATION and to prescribe the rules them
selves under which they shall be gov
erned. We have used the term s'adults"
because it may be assumed that minors
within an agreed age shall not be ac-
counted equal in political capacity, since
they are under the direction of their
parents and protectors. Women, children
and adults are all, however, represented
as political equals. The majority of adults,
whether by acquiescence Of the female por-
ton of its numbers or by an informal
exclusion of that portion, assumes
the control of the government. In doing
so it may i'm pose any conditions upon it's
own exercise of the power of self-govern-
ment that it may deem proper. This
majority, by its fundamental compact or
constitution, prescribes the limits within
which those delegated to enact laws in
the name of the majority may exercise
the powers of the majority. The major
ity in each State or the majority of the
whole people Of all the States first made |
a compact under which the rights of the
majority are submitted in certain agreed |
relations to the common or federal gov
eminent. This is, of course, paramount |
obligation, and any exercise Of power by
local majority within State must be
made in view of such concession Of para
mount authority to the federal govern
ment. The general conviction seems to
concede that the right to regulate and
prescribe rules of equal suffrage belongs
to the federal government under the COW
enant or compact stated. But whether the
majority in State or in the Union shall
choose to exercise its power of defining and
restricting the exercise of power it may
tedly do SO without protest by the
citizens. 1t will follow from this reason
ing that the minority in republic can
exercise no rights except what may have
been conferred upon it by the majority.
The minority in a republic has no inher-
ent right except as defined by the consti-
luton of the majority. 1t has no rights
simply because it is minority.
The majority assigns certain rights to the
whole people without regard to age, sex,
color, or condition. The personal rights
ire ofequal protection under the law. The
political right assigned them is to be
represented as equals. But the majority
las chosen to impose upon its minority
ONE restrictions both legal and political.
The obliga tions Of woman in her conjugal .
SO far as marriage may be con-
idered as civil or legal contract, is a !
pecimen of the legal restriction. The :
xclusion of women and minors from the
ight to choo Sc, or be chosen, for politi- :
al Office, is limitation of political right.
is very peculiar limitation of that ,
ight, since if all human beings are 9
Official equals, then as women i
ccording to the statistical tables t
re more numerous than men, {
"a anomaly is presented of minority r
10 men-imposing exclusive restrictions e
pom the numerical majority-the women. s
his is one Of the incongruities insepera- O
lie, perhaps, from the infrmity of all 8
uman systems, yet it is certain that the II
lale majority, thus assumed, has limited I
le right of women to participate in the b
government Nor can any one
oubt the right of the majority to impose n
lch limits upon such participation. The
ajority may inhibit all its members v
ON exercising the right of suffrage, or q
Office, for any causes the majority may i.
loose to allege. It may exclude all q
Ions, as unworthy; it may deny all n
literate persons, as incompetent 1t f
ay even require the exhibition, by all u
,ters, of some evidence of intention to
scome permanent citizens, or of partici- d
alton in the burdens of government. f
merican majorities have pronounced D
,ainst imposing any qualification OF "
.operty as condition of suffrage. If a b
an is fit for soldier or fireman, he is o.
for voter, and he who defends a ii
'untry in which he perhaps has no prop d
ty, is probably a more meritorous st
ember of society than one who has in
pperty. b,
So the majority has the same right to ia