The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-01-07
THE PROTECTORS ~ AT WORK.

The friends of woman's enfranchise-
ment have been able for the past five
years to point with pride to the practi-
cal workings of impartial suffrage in the
Territory of Wyoming, and have heark-
ened with satisfaction to the evidence
in its favor which has been universally
rendered by Governors of the Territory,
Judge Kingman, of the Supreme Court,
and, indeed, all who have given in their
testimony concerning it. There has,
however, been, during the period referred
to, a few men, who have constantly
chafed at the recognized equality of
women by the Territorial laws, and
majority of these have sat in each Leg
islature that has since assembled. Four
years since, we believe, the Legislature
succeeded in passing bill repeating the
act comforting the elective franchise
upon the women of the Territory; but it
was promptly vetoed by Governor
Campbell, and the veto accompanied by
reasons that should have forever shamed
TO silence the boastful braggarts whose
happiness and well-being seems to de-
pend totally upon the assurance that
they are superior to some other class;
and not finding that assurance of supe-
riority in their own consciences, they
look to the lG,U8 to make and defend the
same. The Legislature that has been
for some time in session at Cheyenne is
not free from this uneasiness, as we find
in the reports published in the Laramie
Sentinel the following:
By Mr.. McLelland, bill for "An act TO re
peal charter 81 Of the laws of 1869, entitled, AN
act to grant the women OF Wyoming Territory
the right of suffrage" Referred to Committee
on Elections.
And little further on:
A bill, introduced by Mr.. McLelland, for An
act to repeal charter 81 OF the laws of 1862 enti-
tied, 'An act to grant the women Of Wyoming
Territory the right of suffrage" On motion
of Mr.. Mckay, was indefinitely postponed.
Further than this we are not advised
as yet, but presume this bill is harmless
for the remainder of the session. The
impudence of proceeding of this kind
is simply astounding. Who for a mo-
ment believes that the men of that Leg
islative assembly have any more right
to deprive women of the privileges of
citizenship than they have to thus
trample upon the rights Of any other
class of the law-abiding, tax-paying cit
izens of the Territory? And in simple
truth and justice have they any more
right to do so than a like number of
women dressed in little brief author
ity would have to introduce, and if they
were unjust enough or tyrannical
enough, to pass bill thus curtailing
the rights of male citizens? ? 1t is not
at all probable that the present Legisla-
ture can pass such a bill; and if they
could and did, the Governors veto
would prevent its taking effect. If,
however, such gross iniquity were
perpetrated, it would serve. to show
more plainly, perhaps, than anything
else could, the folly of the popular belief
that men always stand ready to defend
woman and legislate for their benefit
So monstrous and causeless an usurpa.
tion as this would compel hundreds Of
people who have heretofore looked on in
supine Indifference to come up to the
help Of the weak against the mighty
and array themselves at last on the side
of right.
The women of Wyoming will doubt
less see to it that their friends in the
next Legislature so far outnumber theil
enemies as to prevent the recurrence o
another such a farce in the name o
proper legislation.