National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-01-16
UNIVERSAL FRANCHISE.
TIE MEETING OF THE NATIONAL
WOKlN;s RIGHTS CONTENTION.

TIE MEETING OF THE NATIONAL
W0NAN;s RIGHTS CONTENTION.
ALL THE OLD WORKERS PRESENT-SOMt
NEW ACCESSIoNS TO THE RANKs-Thf
BILL OF RIGHTS - RESOLUTIONS AMI
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. BY MRS. sPENCER'
MRS. STANTON, MISS ANTHONY AND
OTHEES.
The sixth annual session of the Womenb Ma
lional Suffrage Convention was begun In Lincoln
hall vest crday morning Despite the cold am
lnclemcnt day there quite q fnir gathering
of females with large sprinkling Of the sterneI
sex, who appeared as deeply interested in the
proceedings as the prime workers in the affair
The animation Of the spectators seemed very
much chilled by the GOODNESS Of the hall, which
gave little signs Of warmth. and made overcosts
and heavy wrappings very acceptable. Notvith
standing the drawbacks met with in starting, the
ambitious ones of the cause bore masters COM
placently, and with their genial smiles they in
fused q sufficient degree of heat in the hearts Of
their audience to cndow them with patience, and
make the proceedings Of the morning session par.
sds d mot
efatIOn entered, followed BY other ladies and one
MIS- Elisabeth Cady Stanton, New York: Miss
Susan B. Anthony. New York; Mrs. DR.. Belva
A. Lockwood, Washington; Mrs Sarah ]. Spen-
hs SiaE nss S York
Eettie q. Tator, California; Miss Francis Ellen
Burr, Hartford, Conn.,; Mrs. E. B. Phelps, New
B. Archibald, Washington; Miss Jennie v.
Jewell, Washington; Mrs. Adelia NJ. Gardiner,
Baltimore; Miss Kate y. Harris; Baltimore; Miss
Laura Ewing, Baltimore; Mrs. Ruth Q. Deniscu.
Washington: DIR. Clemencc 8. Loner, New York;
Virginia I. Vaughn and Mrs. Edward n. Davis,
aTer ali were seated nJiss Aptbcnv arose and
reur-oaching the desk, read
THE CALL OF THE CONVENTION,
as follows:
This is the sixth convention held in successive
years under the shadow OF our national Capitol,
TO be continued until woman's exact and perma-
nent political equality is recognized over our
whole broad land. Never In the history Ct our
tant questions called US together. Within the
last year the great underlying principle Of our
personal representation, recognized BY the Colo
nies in the act of separation from Great Britain,
and reafirmed at the adoption Of our National
citizens in the person of Susan B. Anthony ma
tive-born citizen of the United States-tried and
convicted as felon for having dared, by voting,
to exercise her inalienable right OF personal rep
resentation; tried and convicted, too, while de-
MED the protecting power OF that associate right
held sacred by all freemen-the right CT trial by
Jury-a right recognized and secured TO all our
citizens. in two distinct articles Of the National
Constitution.
A convention, TINS winter, at the scat OF ShOV-
eminent, to rc-examine the fundamental princi-
pies of Republican government, and to declare
anew the constitutional rights of all citizens, is
needed as protest against the Legislative, cxecu
tive and judicial corruption and assumption that
today threaten the liberties of the American
people.
ginia L. Miner, of ST. Louis, Missouri. rcgrctting
her inability to be present, and stating that her
case is now on the docket Of the supreme Court
Of the United States, and will be reached in about
a year, and she entertained no doubt Of its ulti-
mate success as she believed her claim to citizen
ship to be just.
A letter was also read from the Hon. Gerritt
Smith, ofPeterboro. New York, in WHICH he stated
that he regretted that it was impossible for him
and enclosed q sum of money to assist in defray-
ing the expenses of the holding OF the convention
Mrs. Tator read a communication from Mrs.
ability to attend on account Of sickness but that
she had lost no faith in the movement or Of its ul
innate success.
Of y. Y; T. w. Higginson, r. l.: Vice President
Wilson, Hon. b. F. Butler, Francis Miller and
Mrs. P. Holmes Drake.
There was then presented
A MEMORIAL,
signed by Mrs. Susan B. Anthony. Mrs. Eliza
beth Cady Stanton and others, setting forth that
women have been denied a hearing as to their po-
litical rights at the bar of the Senate and the
House. they being entirely unrepresented there
in that they have no voice in the choice Of men,
bers to either body. Although constituting one
by the Declaration of Independence and the Con-
stitution as the only source of power and one half
the governed, whose consent is necessary to all
Just governments, women are still subjected to
many wrongs, among which is taxation without
and praying Congress to pass
law during the present session that shall exempt
women from taxation for national purposes so
long as they are unrepresentcd in the national
councils.
MRS. SARAH ]. SPENCER
was then introduced.
1t surprised and encouraged me, to learn that
neither the Constitution Of the United States nor
any State constitution nor any Legislative enact
ment, general or local, has ever forbidden women
to vote. All the Legislative enactmcnts regulating
the rights duties and privileges Of electors have
simply expressly permitted certain male citizens |
to vote, and have said nothing about women what
they simply forgot to mention the wives and |
the mothers. They are very apt to forget us, you
them. |
If they had said every man that would have in |
eluded women: but the word .malc" does not in |
clude "female." says a learned judge, and there
fore this word, which expressly permits men to |
vote, docs not reach us at all, except by fInplca
ton 1t is one thing to forbid women to vote, it is
lutte encther thing to simply fail to expressly |
There are some excellent people who think the |
Bible fOrbds women to vote all the way through, |
from beginning to end. True, It does not give |
any authority for 1t. Neither does 1t give any |
authority for using sewing-machines, or clothes
wringers, or telegraph wires, or railroad cars.
The jealous people who diligently search the |
Scriptures, not for spiritual growth, but to find
the narrowest promises for women and the broad
est for men, assume that all that Is not COIN |
nended to women is strictly forbidden.
But in constituting both divine and human laws |
pressly forbidden is permitted, and is therefore
awful. |
Judge Cartier Gays the general constitution
nterposcs not single obstacle to woman sui-
and hpra ig hpr N n N
amendment, while the State constitutions simply |
:eave this right in abeyance by emitting to de-
THAT this view of the general Constitution |
largely prevails throughout the country We may |
see from the fact that in every section of the |
country women have offered their votes under the
Constitution it is, and have proceeded to bring
suits against those who rejected them upon every |
basis that is possible. |
~ the Supreme Court Of the District Of Column |
3ia in ouB suit against the board of registration.
The court says the fourteenth amendment "does |
them with the capacity to become voters, but this
condition requires the supervention
IF Legislative power to give IL effect. Congress,
aas not seen tit to carry this inchoate right into
sfeet, as is apparent in the law regulating the |
franchise in this District, When that shall have
been DONE It will be the pleasure Of this court to
the law as VS. find it." |
We appealed from this decision Of the Supreme |
Court Of the District to the supreme Court Of the
The difference between this opinion Of the Su- |
preme Court and |
OR OWN OPINION |
las represented by our eounsel) is this:
The court declares that We are citizens, and are
"clothed with the capacity to become voters, but
that voting not Of the rights Of citizenship,
but . conventional right, which may be conferred
or withheld as Congress or the various State Leg
may decide"
We believe that voting q one Of the rights of
citfxcnfhip; nattiIa right to eeiEpr0tectiOn;
right from the beginning, still
further secured and defined by the fourteenth
amendment We further believe that II the four
,esnth and nfteenth amendments rendered null
buttons throughout tho Union, It also rendered !
nuil and void the word smale" In those same cum
stitutiops. Hence our appeal to the Supreme
Court of the United states.
Nevertheless, standing upon the ground already
eon, since the Supreme Court OF this District to
whom we appealed, decide that further lcgisla-
i've action s necessary, and refer ms to Congress
the body having exclusive jurisdiction over this
District, We shall proceed ct once to ask Congress
!or such action.
II woman suffrage 10 secured for this Territory
Aot BE- dsaied &c tbs othar TsryteCfies. And tAe \
mailer legislatures Of the v1lseas Dkates cannot
consistently withhold it.
In the meantime our case ID still peoding in the
United States Supreme Court, and this highest |
judicial tribunal in the land need only 20 step
mrther than the Supreme Court Of the District |
has done and the whole question 10 settled at
,nce in favor Of women.
A large and influential body Of men and women |
desire q special new constitutional amendment
m behalf of women. Very well. That il only |
md 70 he nd In off haze