The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-06-28

The chairman stated that delegates from
the national Woman Suffrage Association
were present, asking hearing. lCries of
Hear them. There being no objection.
the chair announced they would be heard
Messrs Wood, of New York, and Smalley,
of Vermont, were appointed committee to
escort the ladies to the platform.
The chair announced that lady had
the floor and refused to hear any PROPOSE
lions.
Miss Phoebe w. Cozzeus, of st. Louis,
took the platform and addressed the CON
vention with much self possession, but her
voice was too weak to be heard many feet
distant. Her address was as follows:
MISS CoZZENs'S SPEECH.
NJ. President. Gentlemen of the National
Democratic Conuention..
The Centennial anniversary of our
national birthday is also happily CEN
tennial leap year. 1t is in order, then.
take 1t, not only to receive propo-
sails from fair women, but also to accept |
them. Taking advantage of this right and
your courtesy, |, as delegated authority
from the fair sex, am here not only to re-
affirm for them the principles of liberty |
and equality, but to sue for the hand of
those here assembled in national conyen-
ton, and the hand, Mr.. President must
be neither larger nor smaller than mans
hand. In the good Ole days Of our ances
tors it was deemed an objectionable offense
if the leap-year privilege accorded to wo-
men was not unhesitatingly acquiesced in,
and he who would not joyfully say yes,
to the sweet maidens coy wooing, was re-
garded with supreme contempt, and in
the isolation of single miserableness
died ere yet his race was run, unwept
and unsung of women. So, then,
gentlemen. if, as party, you
would live long, be prosperous and
happy, give heed to the warning from out
the gates of paradise, 1T is not good for
man to be alone," and accept for a COM
panion, in the politico household, she who
binds all the discordant elements
of life unto the divine harmony;
sweet natures better half James
Madison said, let it be remembered
that it has ever been the pride of
: Americans that the rights for which she
contended were the rights Of human ma
! ture, and, gentlemen, we ask this recog-
milton not as women, but as human beings.
/ Our Magma Charta is equality of rights,
J and to-day we sue for this, not by force Of
! might and power, but by the more patient
5 voice of truth apd justice, speaking to
every thinking mans conscience in tones
2 more persuasive than those which appealed
: TO King John on the field at Runnymede.
: We cannot assert this right by resort to
: the sword; we confess our inability to
thunder forth our claim from the can
e mons mouth; but in this centennial year,
when all others are free. and when our
souls, too, responding to the music of the
Lot nH laH &c unpa0cI- Of
, Adams, and of Patrick Henry, with minds
!. expanding to a realization of their gran
e deur, with pulse beating for the freedom
= they proclaimed, we would tain pluck a
live coal from off the altar of our liberties
t that shall kindle in our souls zeal for the
# rights of each individual in the uui
b versal humanity, such as our fathers had
Il when they thrilled the hearts of the people
n with the cry, taxation without represeC.
= tation is tyranny" Gentlemen, we ap-
It peal to your sense Of justice and to the
y grand old truths Of our fathers, to support
n our claims; and here we rest our case
n commencing to you, in closing, the truth
u that sense Of justice is the sovereign
7. power of the human mind, the most I'm
e yielding Of any; 1t rewards with a higher
10 sanction, it Furnishes with deeper agony
er than any earthly tribunal 1t ueve
g. slumbers, it never dies it continually ut
ID ters and demands justice by the eterna
III rule of right, truth and equity, and OIL
10 this eternal foundation stone Of right, trutl
re and equity. we stand.
20
I'd The following are the leading points &
ne the address presented to the convention
all by Miss Cozzens:
GENTLEMEN
In reading the call for your convention
no the National Woman's Suffrage Associa
no ton were gratified to find that your invita-
m ton was not limited to voters, but wa
90 cordially extended to all citizens of tn
* United States. Delegates from our assc
IN citation ask for voice in your proceedings
Ne also plank in your platform declarin
~ the political rights Of woman. " ONE
sis possess property and education, take OF
ali naturalization papers, preempt lands, pa
~ taxes, and are neither idiots or lunatic
% and yet are tie only class Of citizens who'll
7 unrepresented in the government. AZ
ms cording to your state constitutions the
on lack but one qualification for voters
10 qualification Our rulers may have tt
i right to regulate suffrage, but they cannC
,re abolish it without direct violation of til
,en fundamental law Of the land As 70
hold the constitution of the fathers to be
sacred legacy to US and our children 70
ever, we ask you to so interpret TIL
hly Magma Charta of human rights as to 8
srs cure justice and equality to all Unite
:. States citizens, irrespective of sex. Wht
ISIS the District of Columbia suffrage bill W
ON under discussion in 1866, Democrat
f. senator, Mr.. Cowan, of Pen
b. sylvania, proposed an amendment
Y, strike out the word male, al
the thus extend the right OF suffrage to Il
Ella women as we'll as to the black mon of n
u. district That amendment gave US
splendid discussion on woman suffrag
airy that lasted three days in the senate of t
per United States 1t was Democratic lie
islature that secured the right Of suffra
L. to the women of Wyoming, and we NJ
Ign ask you in the national convention
on pledge the Democratic party to extel
was this act of justice to the women throug
ec- out the nation, and thus call to your aid
ldy new political force that will restore a
perpetuate your power for years to con
. OF The Republican party gave plank
bO, 1868, pledging themselves to a special &C
TO-, sideration of our demands, but they ha
al buried our petitions ana appeals unC
laws in direct opposition to their hi
ave sounding promises and professions, a
int now in 1876, they give US another plank
their platform approving the substant
lid advance made towards the establishme
A. of equal rights to women, cunningly
the mindiug us that the privileges and INN
a. 4 IL