The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-06-02
Woman Suffrage in the District of Co.
lumbia.

Woman Suffrage is losing Instead of
gaining ground, we commend the pc
rusal Of the following, taken from the
Congressional Record of April 1st, and
ask that they will compare the treat
ment accorded to the petition here
given with that which similar petitions
received at the hands of legislative
bodies a few years ago. 1t would, in
deed, i'll become the representatives of a
great nation to treat with contempt a
petition of 100000 of its citizens, and
the time is near at hand when courtesy,
though we'll enough in it's place, will
give place to justice. These women do
not sue for grace and favor, but they de-
mand a right.
Mr.. COX. Mr.. Speaker, I am re-
quested to present a memorial from the
women citizens of the United States,
asking for form of government in the
District of Columbia which shall secure
to its women citizens the right to vote;
and ask the grace and favor to have
their memorial printed in the Record.
Mr.. BANKS. Mr.. Speaker, beg the
privilege of saying few words in favor
of the request made by the gentleman
from New York who presents this me-
mortal. 1t is a hundred years this day
since Mrs. Abigail Adams, of Massa-
chusetts, wrote to her husband, John
Adams, then a member of the COnti-
mental Convention, entreating him to
| give to woman the right to protect the .
rights of woman, and predicting gen.
eral revolution if justice was denied
them. Mrs. Adams was one of the
noblest women of that period, distin-
guished by heroism and patriotism
never surpassed in any age. She was
wife of the second, and mother of the
sixth President of the United States,
and her beneficial influence was felt in
political, as we'll as in social circles. 1t
was perhaps the first demand for the
recognition of the rights of her sex
made in this country, and is one of the
Centennial incidents that should be re-
membered. 1t came from good quar-
ter. The memorial represents 100000
American women. They ask for an or
ganiZatiOn of a government in the Dis
trict Of Columbia that will recognize
their political rights. 1 voted some
years ago to give women the right to
vote in this District, and, recalling the
course of its government, L think it
would have done no wrong if they had
enjoyed political rights.
Mr.. KASSON. 1 suggest that the
memorial be printed without the
names.
Mr.. COX. There are no names ap-
pended except those of the officers of
the Association; and 1 hope they will
be printed with the memorial. ----
Mr.. HENDEE. TRUST the gentleman
will allow this petition to be referred to
the committee of which am a member,
the Committee for the District of
Columbia.
Mr.. COX. Ihave no objection to that.
There being no objection, the memo
rial was referred to the Committee for
the District of Columbia, and ordered
to be printed in the Record as follows:
MEMORIAL OF WOMEN CITIZENS OF THIS
NATION.
To the Senate and House of Repre-
SentdtiUeS df the United States in Con-
gress AsSenl6Led:-
Whereas, the Supreme Court of the
United States has re-affirmed the de-
cision of the Supreme Court of the
District of Columbia in the case
of Spencer VS.. the Board of Reg
istration, aud Webster VS.. the
: Judges of Election, and has decided
that, by the operation of the first
section of the Fourteenth Amendment
to the Constitution of the United States,
women have been advanced with full
, citizenship, and clothed with the capac-
ity to become voters; and, further, that
this first section of the Fourteenth
Amendment does not execute itself, but
} requires the superventiOn of legislative
= power in the exercise of legislative dis
cretion to give it effect; and, whereas,
the Congress of the United States is the
legislative body having exclusive juris-
, diction over this District of mbia,
r and, in enfranchising the colored man
and refusing to enfranchise any woman,
white or cOlored, made an unjust dis
elimination against sex, and did not
: give the intelligence and moral power
{ of the citizens of said District fair OPP
portunity for expression at the polls;
and, whereas, Woman Suffrage is not
3 an experiment, but has had q fair trial
s in Wyoming, where women vote,
= where they hold office, where they have
=, the most orderly society of any of the
Territories, where the experiment is ap-
proved by the executive officers of the
8 United States, by their press, and by
} the people generally, and where it has
''rescued that Territory from a state of
comparative lawlessness," and rendered
j it Zone of the most orderly in the
: Union;" and, whereas, upon the Woman
r Suffrage Amendment to Senate bill
No. A of the second session of the
> Forty-third Congress, votes were re-
e corded in favor of Woman Suffrage
r by the two Senators from Florida, the
. two from Indiana, the two from Michi-
. gan, and the two from Rhode Island,
one from California, one from Illinois,
8 one from Alabama, one from Arkansas,
e one from Louisiana, one from Kansas,
one from Massachusetts, one from Min
nesota, one from Nebraska, one from
Nevada, one from Oregon, one from
: South Carolina, one from Texas, and
Y one from Wisconsin,; and, whereas, a
!, fair trial of equal suffrage for men and
' women in the District of Columbia,
!. under the immediate supervision OF
:, Congress, would demonstrate to the
,. women of the whole country that JUS
t tice to women is policy to men; and,
= whereas, the women citizens of the
e United States are governed without
their own consent, and denied trial by
e a jury of their peers, are taxed without
r representation, and are subject to man
fold wrongs resulting from unjust and
!, arbitrary exercise of power over an un-
t represented class; and, whereas, in this
It Centennial year the spirit of '76 is
o breathing its influence upon the people,
n / poaItinO awav all nreiudiceS and ami