Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1876-12-16
> iOnal Suffrage Association.

,;on will he held in Lincoln Hall,
Washington, d. c., January 10th
and 18th, 1877. An address issued
bv the q, association affirms that as by
repeated Judicial decisions, woman's
r;ph. to vote under the 14th Amend
merit has been denied, it is proposed
to demand 10th amendment to the
Constitution that will secure impair
tal suffrage All auxiliary associa-
tons are urged to send delegates
with petitions for this measure. We
give the text Of the address in full:
r, tie Women Of tie United States:
Having celebrated our Centennial
hir,hday with a National jubilee, let
u- now dedicate the dawn of the
Second Century to securing justice
to Woman.
For this purpose we ask you to
circulate petition to Congress, just
i>.,iel by the National Woman Suf-
fi'oyr i>>ocia'ion, asking an amend
ment to the United States Constitu-
ton. that shall prohibit the several
States from DISTINGUISHING any of
their citizens on account of Sex.
We have already. sent this petition
throughout the country for the sig
natures of those men and women
who believe in the citizens right to
vote
To see how large a petition each
State rolls up, and to do the work as
expeditiously as possible, it is neces-
sary that some person, or society in
each State and District should take
the matter in charge. print, and send
out petitions to reliable friends in
every county, urging upon all
tloroughness and haste. When the
petitions are returned, they should
be pasted together, neatly rolled up,
the number of signatures marked on
the outside, with the name of the
State, and forwarded to Sarah An
drews Spencer, Chairman of our
Congressional Committee, corner of
L. and It'll street, Washington, D.
{. On the 10th and 18th of Janu-
airy, 1877, we shall hold our Sth An
nual Convention at the Capital and
ask hearing on our petition before
Congress.
Having petitioned to our law
makers, State and National, for years,
many from WEAKNESS and despair
have vowed to appeal no more for
our petitions, say they, by the tens
of thousands, are piled up mid the
National archives unheeded and
ignored. Yet, it is possible to roll
up such a mammoth petition, borne
into Congress ON the shoulders of
stalwart men, that we can 10 longer
be neglected or forgotten. States
men and politicians, alike, are con-
quered by majoIities. We urge the
women of this country to make now
the same united effort for their own
rights, that they did for the slaves
at the south, when the 18th amend
ment was pending. Then a petition
of over SOC, 900 was rolled up by the
leaders of the suffrage movement,
and presented in the Senate by the
Hon. Charles Sumner. But the lead
ne statesmen who welcomed woman's
untiring efforts to secure the black
mans freedom, frowned down the
same demands when made for herself.
Is not liberty as sweet to her as to
him? Are not the political disa-
bilities of Sex as grievous as those of
color? Is not civil rights bill that
shall open to woman the college
doors, the trades and professions
that shall secure her personal and
property rights, as necessary for her
protection, as for that of the colored
man?
And yet the highest Judicial au-
thorities have decided that the spirit
and letter of our National Constitu-
ton are not broad enough to protect
Woman in her political rights; and
for the redress of our wrongs they
remand her to the State. If this
Magma Charta of Human Rights can
be thus narrowed by judicial inter
pretations in favor of class legisla-
ton, then must we demand an
amendment that in clear, unmistak-
able language, shall declare the
equality of all citizens before the
law.
Women are citizens, first of the
United States, and second of the
State wherein they reside: hence, if
robbed by State authorities of any
right founded in nature or secured
by law, they have the same right to
national protection against the State,
as against the infringements of any
foreign power. If the United States
government can punish woman
for voting in one State, why has it
not the same power to protect her in
the exercise of that right in every
State? The Constitution declares it
the duty of Congress to guarantee to
every State a republican form of gov
eminent, to every citizen equality of
rights. This is not done in States
where women, thoroughly qualified,
are denied admission into colleges,
which their property is taxed to
build and endow; where they are
denied the right to practice law and
are thus debarred from one of the
most lucrative professions; where
prostitution, war, heavy taxation and
political corruption, stand powerless
to effect any reform. Prayers, tears,
psalm-singing and expostulation are
light in the balance, compared with
that power ut the ballot box that