, 1875-04-02
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.

THE srrnExE COURT on YEHALE SUFFRAGE.
10 sae Ealor of The Chied7a Tfibunst
Cf11cA'o, April l.-Wo now have an affirmation
from tho hse1lcs: judicial authority Of the nation
q! the reductio ad aJsurlurn to which Tho women
a'1utagiHts had already been forced by lay argu-
mcht, VIZ: that il Tiny acquired tho right to
soto hhHer tho Fourteenth Amendment, their
hafles-'t'hrt1'H ind likn"iao bcctuo endowed
with tho franchise. TIN question comes from
Tho United ssatos Circuit Cour: Of Missouri
Tho claim was that Of woman who insstctl ste
| lad right 10 ro!c under tho Fourteenth
Amendment, notwithstanding the Hutr5ago IL
expressly contlncd to rncn by the Conpt.tntnu
Of TIC State Of Missouri. Tic claim, was l,a.yl
on Tic following clause o. tito Fourteenth!
Amendment to tho Constitution Of tho United
States.
Alt persona born or natnrazed In ths rnitod a:s,es,
and njcc: II tho Jurisdiction tcreof arr citizens ii
tile Cntcd States and 0! tho sEate ~hrreln they
tl.a a!tllsc the privileges Or immnne. of c.lssns
Of Tie United States, nor alIs any Aate dcrtyn any
IrtFo1 ot !sfr ler'J, Or proFFty w1,l!?u, Au" ~
tlon thu c1usi protection nj the laws.
Tnersato" tho "ahsieklng slstoFhood " framed
shiH Hyl!pgiAm:
Aa Persons born or naturallzel in tho United
StHtca, and subject to tho iuriad,ction thereof,
We aro citizens.
Citizens Of the Jnitel H!atea arc entitled to
vote. nn,l no State n,ay abr.lse their privileges
or imuluuitcs.
Ergo, We arc entitled to yntc
This was all very pretty and logical In form.
and the only tros.h!o about /. was that tho minor
premise was falso IN oac essential. Citizenship
OF the United StsteH does not carry With It the
right to vote. Women born or natnrallzed in
tho United statoa. and subject 10 Tue Jnrisdic-
ton thereof. haso always bocn ctizeps hut no
!layo ttleir babies always beon citzeuH Under
tho Fourteenth Amendment, NO State may
aerit1ge tho privileges or innunitics g! women
clt'zenB. nor OF baby ctizenH. II tie right to
soto were included III United States citizenship.
no State coHll raAE Inv prescribing a certain
ago under which no citizen should vote. Thu
very first sauawk Of tl,e newborn hato
might DO FIR Mike Evann for Town
Collector. and he and Tom Foley wonld probably
Vie with eact, other In keopnE up will tho do
itEs OF tie Gccoucac,tr* and monthly ,ursea for
tho noxt few days. but unfortunately for tue
enlargement of suffrage on tllih gale basis,
flIc supreme Court rcitcrato unanimously Tint
tho United 6tatca hns no voters. TINT suffrage in
not one Of tho privileges Of United States cisi-
zehRhir, nad that the right to vnto ia not oven
co-eStenn!ve with State citizon-lrir. THUS tho
women mud tho babies aro politically left ont
IN tue cn'tl: mud Bo!no women will continue to
shttck a'll all babies contlnuc to alucnl aa be-
fore.
"a very salient point naio by tho Supreme
Court wac. that. L tho fourteenth Amclldnlcn.
had prohibited the States from ttenyfng tho
right OF Rnifraga 10 any citizeu OF tho United
Status, tho Fifteenth Amcnnmen. wo,,!l slava
BEEN altogether unnecessary. BIT it, order to
confer the right Of nnfrnge nrun thu ncg,oea
this amendment was formally submitted aud
adopted. It's: 1.-The right Of citizens Of tic
United States to voto shall not bn do
ntcd or Abridged by the United States.
or. br any state OIL account OF race.
color, Or previous condition of servitude."
Il II Ind been the purpose 10 include wotneu and
babies. 1t would hase added: Nor on account
of either age. sex, or Discretion" II the women
want to obtain general right to yo,e IN every
State and Territory, they must get sixteenth
amendment to that affect.
There In now happllyuo further question nhout
this matter, Tho qualifications Ut tic 1cgul
voter defined by each State for itself, subject
ouly to tho restriction Of tho Fifteenth Amend.
nent, which applies ouly to tho negroes in effect
Let us hayo no TuoEo t!rekins on this Four
tcent!l Amendment fnllacy, aud no moro general
agitation Of tho subject. It hlrH. Cxdy Stanton
anu MsEh 6uAnn L. Anthony chi 70 far influence
the gallant,y OF the sters,er III New York. tho
latter may grant them tho right to voto iu Now
York ~ the chiyAlrnus male iuhsbitants OF
Wyoming did. But let the crusade 10 confined
to States hereafter, 70 that thoao communities
free from the "sllriektng siato.hood" Mood not
endure uny part Of their narrowing outcry.