New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-10-08
SPEECH OF WENDELL PHILLIPS
The Twelfth Plank in the National
Republican PLATFORM

hcpuUlACd0 AloNVIuse
At woman suffrage meeting held il
Fanen:l Hall, Boston, September p, tt
rstify the nominations made by the
Womac's Suffrage State Convention a,
Worcester, Wendell Philips spoke as fol
lows:
am glad that the woDaD suffrage ques
ton has come at last into Faneuil Hall il
eaucus fashion, because Eaneuil Hall, a
everybody knows, is the halfway station t.
the State House. Crowding Fsneuil Kali
O. it 10 crowded tonight, is getting upon &
railroad train which will noe stop until il
reaches the. Senate and House of Represen
tatives. This is o very appropriate roof fol
the suffrage reform to rest under, tor tbs
principle on which it is based is the same az
that advocated by Adams and Hancock and
Warren-the principle that there shall be
NO taxation without represeL tation, gov
eminent without the consent OF the gov
erned. The English nation opposed that
principle. 1t assumed to consider the gov
ornipg class ss SORT Of probate coart hav-
ing the poor and l25oring classes under it's
guardianship. TIE American republic
threw itself against that idea like thnn-
derbOlt. Every picture on these walls.
every brick in this house, is an argument in
favor of woman's right to vote. All the
historic fame that attaches us to this hall,
all the principles that uaderlie our cOnstitu-
ton affirm woman's CLAIM. What are those
princiUlesl Equal rights for every citizec
Of s0und mind and mature age, uncOr-
victed of crime. There are three lines of
exception, and three only-l2natics, idiots,
and criminals. But women are not in
Cluded in theee lines. Woman is not in.
sane; if che il, why is she not cent to Som-
ervillei She is not al imbecile. If any one
thinks 80, let him try to argue with Mrs. Liv
ermOre. She is not q criminal; il ste ie, why
IL she nOtisrbe' House Of COrrectionf just
~ George III. said to our fathers-"f will
tax you, will govern you" so say orx leg
islatOrs to the women. The question Why
women should be made an exception. has
never yet been fairly met at the State
House. It has always been evaded, and al.
ways will be, until the woman suffrage vote
II counted at the polls. The logic and elo-
quence of Mrs. Livermore. the pathetic ap-
peal of Lucy Stone, the learning and
Wit of Jula Ward Howe. what do they
avail before a-leeislStive committee They
have no weight, go long as they represent !
NO votes. saw man weighing q pig in
Faneuil Market. He threw in lead, but |
down the scale. He threw in more lead,
and up went the pig. Suppose. instead Of |
lead be had thrown in q sentiment, would |
i have weighed anything. You say that
s'the highest duty of man to serve his |
Creator DO you not { Well, then, don't |!
blame the legislative committee; it wOrships |
Ito crestor-votes. The committee does not |
consult reason, sentiment, or common sense. |
II feels only, the solid lead of the vote that
makes and can unmake it. You can not |
afford to weigh Mrs. Livermore versus the
NJ mi vryn11
ache. All legislative committee under
stands is votes. A legislative committee is
simply multiplication table. Remember,
] am not intending t0depreciate the legis-
lative committee. But the Legislature has
no eyes, no ears, no appreciation for any
thing but political power. 1t does not 90
10 the State House to hear arguments, but
10 count votes. All that ever vas uttered
would fail to have Influence with legisIa.
live body unless it was accompanied by
votes.
am glad that woman suffrage has come
Into Faneuil Hail. 1t is the right thing in
the right place. Agitation is valuable, but
agitation alone will not suffice. You may
go to Music Hall and agitate. What you
Wy may move 900 men and send them
down to the Gulf to carry justice with the
dag. But the Legislature knows only votes.
4 plane is not an adze; q saw is not ham,
mer. If this meeting sends ECO Or 1000
votes TO the hallot-box for John I. Baker
md woman suffrage, the Legislature will
hear OF 1t. They appreciate votes. A great |
statesman was once asked: "Did you ever
know Q speech in Congress to change an
Dpini0nW ooh, yer" he ans wered, "plenty
Of them; but never knew one to change
! vote" The member represents his con
trade or tariff, hard money
Or soft money. He was sent to represent
hem. He did his political duty. While
his cause remains fluid. agitated. restless,
politicans are not the men to notice iu.
When it gets down to votes, it means bust
ICES, and am glad to see it on that level
Ionight. When your sentiment governs
Fetes, then Legislatures and politicians will
,onpect that sentiment. Then it will in.
Doyember, and the moment we are heard
4 ~ the ballot box, that moment the cause
- forward with strides and strength not
= own. Everything in America, before it
- triumph, gravitstes to politics.
The mAeo OF men have no time for abstract
|1ooumien. They look at the daily paper TO
= What the great party leaders say. l
80 heEe tonight on horse car, and /
eksa H. driver II he went near Cornhill.
toy, tsa - ego be would have known
+. sol|d ~ ~ ~ over sI GepsraI Butler
"A ~. Biains a 1Hsareas rag baby; but
o,aight he replied, nth twinkle in his
%, mo, but No gospesy near Faneuil
kail,r He knew peRfoo14 we'll where
ronted 70 70. For now WU11A euGnRe has
= into Ihe political arGoa. g eka6ss Its
I3onfenfng nnger at Chaele6 AnnGfe Ad.
- - en- q Alexandee =. - Deast
= ~ oeetotn thse you viii - 0ovee91R
|lachusstts. Agitation, IL neeaS .