New-York tribune., 1876-01-19
WOMAN SUFFRAGE ARGUMENTS.

WOMAN SUFFRAGE ARGUMENTS.
MRS. GAGE AND MRS. BLAKE IN THE ASSEMBLY
CHAMBER-wHY THEY ASK FOR THB RIGHT TO
VOTE FOR PRESIDENT.
ALBANY, Jan. 18.-The Assembly Chamber
crowded this evening with ladies and gentlemen to
listen to the addresses by Mrs Matilda Gage Of Onon-
daga County. and Mrs. Lille DeverouI Blake before the
Judiciary Committee, woman suffrage. Mrs Gage
first addressed the Committee What she said was sub
stsntiay as follows:
She TO for the marriage Of right and law by
the passage Of act that shall to women the
right to vote mt the next Presidential election inc
authority for the law lies in the hands OF the Legislature
under Part 2 Seo 1, Art. of the Constitution when
declares that each shall appoint in such manner as
the Legislature thereof may direct number Of electors
equal to the whole number OF Senators and Representa-
tives to which the State may be entitled In the
Congress. With the exception OF that OF South
Carolina, the Legislature OF every state III
the Union has construed the word "appoint"
to mean election by ballot and the men Of each State
except South Carolina vote for such electors THIS
power Of appointment might be kept tho Legislature
in its own hands, given part of the people
and It is equally in the power OF the Legisla-
ture TO give 1t to the whole OF the people.
The woman suffrage associations represent many hun
dred thousand women who ask for the passage OF
this law. To woman this country IA indebted i3r me
great prominence the State rights question had When
South Carolina began TO exhibit her notification prn-
lady, Miss Pnckney wrote a'strong aud vigorous essay
in their favor. which determined the action OF south
Carolina caused eminent Washington saiesinai
say that the utilization party or sonth CaIola ad
are sid to he ahead of the times Well
ten commandments are ahead OF tho umes' ana nave
been than 5000 years -
The question is now entering politics every side.
ThOughtess people sometimes ask what good suffrage
would do women The culy prisoners who were dis
charged last year without cOmnutatOn were women,
aud the prison for women at Sing sing was the only
prison from which person WAS pardoned during
male convict who may have vote who Is parioned
even If only hour before the end OF his imprisonment
lcal friends They not pardoned OUT but arc sur
tered TO remain in prison to serve o tne WnST sGn
ton he parLoned six men from my county, OnOndaga
There are 60 counties in the statc 60 multiplied by
gives us 500 criminals paOned IN single year. AMI not
OF them woman. All the arguments that nave ever
been against suffrage for women have always been
used against giving suffrage to common or poor men
The women Of to-day are utterly kllenced history
OF women during tn" Rebellion is well remembered and
the closing address of the sanitary declared
that patriotism and sacrifice o. the army OF women at
home equaed that of the army OF men in the field
Mrs Blake then spoke length The substance Of her
remarks was:
The Fourteenth Amendment says thai all persons
born or naturaizcd IN the United States are citizens
thereof this declaration, therefore, makes All women
citizens. II foreign lady comes TO this country to re-
paper declares to be citizen of the United states
If one Of Us wishes to e. abroad her b;c5 pa,s
States" If single woman at the West desires
is a citizen Of The United states AND sil again, If
woman owns ship she enters II at the Register Board
and is declared master" OF that ship because she Is
"a citizen OF the United States" We see, then, that
there be no question that woman Is clen, Dui
with the most singular absurdity OF language aud OF
fact though ctizon she ls not entitled to clzehsnl
She pays citizen aud has certain privileges A.
citizen denied the great right oyOle Woman claims
that right With IL the obligation 10 pay taxes
They already fulfill tnat equally with men but thero
are others duty OF acting jurors and tue duty
OF serving the country III time OF war Thc n'.t o these
duties tho cOmmOneSt Justice and the very prin-
cIplcs of our Government demand from woman.
There ia no nope thar women VIII oDtaln justice until
they junes composed in part at least OF Inc nei
beers Of their own sex. With regard 70 military duty
women fully realized their powers and responsibilities In
time when war threat ned It would be almost Ian
possible to obtain their votes IN favor VI q var.