The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-09-08
SUFFRAGE CONSIDERED IN RELA-
TION TO CITIZENSHIP.

GnlteQ states was made last spring before lne
State Woman Suffrage Association by Hon.
John Minto, of Marion county, and by vote of
the Association ordered printed in the NEW
NORTHWEST. Its length, together with the fact
that a serial story was occupying much of the
space on the first page, prevented its publica-
tion at the proper time, but fortunately it was
one OF those things that will keep without los
ing favor, and as the subject Of woman's en-
franchisement is again attracting much atten-
tion, we now give place to the address.-ED.l
1t will be remembered that last spring
March %, 1879 case was decided in
the Supreme Court of the United States,
the case of Mrs. Minor VS.. the State of
Missouri, for refusing to her the right of
suffrage, she being a citizen of the
United States and of the State of Mis-
souri, at the time she offered to vote.
The decision, in which the judges all
agreed, was to the effect that "wOmen
were citizens of the United States, but
that the right of suffrage was not con-
ferred on citizens of the United States by
the Constitution, and that the Constitu-
tion of the States which commit the
trust of suffrage to men alone is not
therefore void" If the newspaper re-
ports of the case may be trusted, the
judges who gave the decision did not
say one word in favor of the justice of
the judgment, only that it was lar.
The case was presented under the 14th
Amendment and the wording of the 18th
Amendment was quoted to give empha-
sis to the decision; so that those who
believe that the right of suffrage is one
justly pertaining to a citizen of the
United States must now look to and la
Dor for an additional amendment to the
Constitution.
In advocating the rights involved in
the question 1 shall assume:
lst. That the citizens highest fealty
and first duty is to the national govern
ment.
I'd. That the citizen has the right to
demand of the national government Sc
curity in the enjoyment of all his rights
and privileges.
Sd. That the right of suffrage is the
chief and most important right of citi-
zenship, and therefore should be guar
anteed by the highest power of the gov
ernment.
In order to sustain my claim for Sc
curity in the free use of the elective
franchise to every capable citizen by the
national government, a few facts are ad-
duced, tending to show that the failure
to do so at the formation of the Consti-
tuition has been one potent cause of pre-
serving the idea of estate Rights" in
the States desirous of continuing the in
stitution of slavery and extending its
boundaries; that leaving the control OF
suffrage under the power of the States
was a source of error in the late rebel
States, and an element of great power
and influence against the government
in the late civil war. In order to make
this evil influence plain, and also to
fortify the claim to the right of suffrage
as inherent in the citizen, brief review
of the history of the United States since
the war of independence is submitted
The confederacy of States formed in
1778 was a compact of the States Ol
sovereign free independent" communi
ties. The only provision contained il
the articles of confederation relative tC
the people who composed those States
was that they could pass from one STATE
to another for purposes of commerct
subject to the same duties, restrictions
nd fvapooiffnns h., g 81
State into which they might go, will
liberty to remove their property int
any other State. The right of suffrage
as pertaining to individuals on the peo
pie, is not alluded to in the articles o
confederation. The voting in Congress
was done by States, each State havini
one vote. The compact lasted clever
years, and was superseded by our pres
ent Constitution, ordained and estab
lished by the people, sin order," as Sc
forth in the preamble, "to form a NOR
perfect union, establish justice, insur
domestic tranquility, provide for th
common defense, promote the genera
welfare, and secure the blessings of Lib
erty to ourselves and posterity."
The first Article, Section /, provide
for law-making power, consisting in
Senate and House of Representatives {
the people.
Section 2 provides for members of th
House of Representatives being chose
by the people of the several States ever
second year, and the electors of thes
representatives are those who sha
have the qualification of electors of th
most numerous branch of the Stat
Legislature of the State in which the
may reside. This it is construed place
the elective franchise of citizen of th
United States in the power of Stat,
AS this clause seems more than an
other in the Constitution to confer SOY
ereign power on the States, it is propt
to observe here that the words 'soveI
eign, free, independent" as applied [
States, do not occur in the instrumen
On the contrary, Article declares
"This Constitution and the laws of tb
United States made in pursuanC
thereof and all treaties made or wbic
shall be made under the authority of tb