New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-12-05
The supreme Court Upon the Voting OF
Women,

The friends CT just extension of the SUI
irage to women do not seem 10 understand
the situation. They point 10 an occasion al
declaration in polical platform as an il
dication Of real interest in the subject. But
il is nothing more than polite bow The
Massachusetts Republican convention has
sometimes put plank of this kind i'll 5s
platform. But any friend OF the cause who
should suppose that the party as party
had any particular interest in the matter
would be profoundly mistaken. Has it ever
been mentioned in any of thr chief speeches
that followed the convention!
Has any voter seriously supposed that BY
any remote possibility his vote would lead
10 prsc ical action upon the question. The
truth is that those who Lo,d. as we do the
opinion that such enfranchisemen. IS de
sirable, are generally Republ cans, and the
resolution Is passed erely as a compliment
to an abstract principle and 10 such of the
brethren as favor it, but without the least
intention or thought tina. any measure VIII
be proposed. And if it were proposed, how
many OF the dele gates who pass tee resolu-
ton, or of the constituency which they rep.
resent would be found suppo.tiu- II!
The question CT the extension Of the suf
frage to women is one OF the gravest that
can be entertained by any political con-
munity. 1t arouses at once preiuoces which
are coeyal with civilized society. traditions
which have the force of fundamental prin-
G5pts9 aIa an hS0sltg held to be
question OF pure reason, and in that differs
from other political measures and PROPOSE
tons, which have always brute force behind
them. There il no conceivable change in
the political order at ouce so radical and SO
difficult. But there are many Of it's friends
who seem to think that i. can be effected
by some kind OF dodge or trick, and tina.
49, n.tp
upon the subject can be outwitted by some
smart lawyer or crafty commentator, 1t is
10 some such feeling that the question is
due which was recently settled by the Su.
prene Court of the United States, whether
the right OF women to vote is not conferred
by the fourteenth amendment of the consti-
tuition.
Everybody Knows that il was not IL
tended to confer the right. that it would not
have been adopted had it been suspected or
known that it did colter the right, and,
therefore, under the circum stances the
right should not be claimed. The plea that
laws may be always strained to serve liber,
Is is dangerous. because of the difficult def
milton of liberty-!n other words, because
OF the plain chance of trightful and disas.
tlous abuse. In case Of immediate and
threatening manifest individual injustice a
Judge will sometimes strain the law and
the public consciousness that the assump-
tlon in that case is less harmful than ac-
qulescence cOndones the lrregularitv. But
the dlstranehisement Of women is not the
kind OF menacing wrong against human ma
ture which would justify any forced or Jug.
Cling Interpretation of constitutions and
laws Those who move il such cases are
sincere, undoubtedly, but they are exceed
ingly unwise, for not only does the particu-
lar effort tail, but the cause which is served
IN SO doubtful manner Is necessarily in
Jured in reputation.
The Supreme Court has decided unapi.
mously that suffrage is not the necessary
privilege OF citizen, and that the amend
ment adds nothing to his privileges and i'm.
munities, but simply furnishes additional
guarantees TO those which he already has.
The argument drawn from a republican
form OF government is disposed of by the
fact that the constitution accepted the ex-
isting State governments as republican. and
IN none OF them was suffrage held to be
necessary privilege of the citizen. No new
State admitted to the Union has ever con.
terred the suffrage upon women; but this
has never been held to be a valid objection
to the admission. Ii long and uniform
practice can settle the construction of the
constitution, it has been 'settled upon this
subject. The true and frank plan is the
of sixteenth amendment which
shall forbid any State to deny the suffrage
on accountsof sex, as the fifteenth forb:is
the denial on account of race, color or pre-
yious condition of servitude. But the
friends of such an ans adment. like those
who favor God in the constitution" must
remember that an issue can not be impro-
vlsed, and they must accept the very evil
dent fact that opinion upon this subject
grows not only slowly but reluctantly
Ha,pcrs Weekly.