The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-05-23

therefore, vote a tax unless absolute
necessity demanded II, he says that he
has the greatest respect for widows and
the "never married woman and that
he would cheerfully, at any time,
give his consent "to establish their right of
"voting, altho' 1 am persuaded that it
"would not give them greater security, nor
"alter the mode of taxation complained
of; and concludes as follows: "When we
complained of British taxation we did 30
with much reason, and there is great diff
ference between our case and that of the
unrepresented in this country" The
argument seems to have been conclusive,
for we hear no more of Mrs. Corbin, in
connection with female suffrage, and, in-
deed, the whole matter was thenceforth
dropped in that state. We commend the
reading of Richard Henry Lees letter to
the Smith sisters and to all other females
who have an itching to vote.
But female suffrage, in those days, was
not entirely a matter of theory. In the
constitution of New Jersey, adopted July
2, 1776, the privilege of voting for men,
beers of the assembly, etc., was given to
call Inhabitants of tull age who are worth
fifty pounds proclamation money, clear
" estate and "who have resided within
"the county for twelve months immediate
sly preceding the election. In 1900, an
election law was framed under that clanse
Of the constitution, and the act was 30
drawn as to read che or che when refer
ing to qualified voters. The law was re-
pealed in 1907, but new one was enacted
the next year in which the same phraseolo-
gy was used; and, under it, females voted
at contested election for councilman at
Elizabethtown, at the presidential election
in 1S0e-who knows but what these female
votes decided the closely contested election
of that year2-and even colored females
were allowed to vote in Hunterdon county
in 1902, and their votes are known to have
elected member of the legislature.
The law continued in force until 1907,
when it was repealed 1t seems that the
erection of new court house and jail for
the county of Estex had been determined
upon, aud the question of its location was
submitted to the inhabitants of the county
who were qualified to vote in elections for
" members of the state legislature" Act
ing under the best legal advice in the state,
the judges of election decided that every
woman of "full age" possessing the requi-
site property qualifications, whether mar
ried or single, was entitled to vote; and,
as the contest waxed warm, Judge Horn
blower states that it was found that every
married woman and every single woman
in the county, was not only of "full age,"
but was also worth "ffiy pounds procla-
" nation money, clear estate" So appa-
rent we're the frauds committed by these
women of ''full age" and with fifty pounds,
that the legislature set aside the election,
repealed the act submitting the question of
location to the qualified voters of the
county, directed the rebuilding of the court
house and Jail at the old county seat, and
passed a new election law with the follow
ing preamble: "Whereas doubts have been
" raised and great diversities in practice OBJ
" tanned throughout the state in regard to
" the admission of aliens, females, and
persons of color or negroes to vote in
4" elections, as also in regard to the mode of
" ascertaning the qualifications of voters
" in respect to estate and whereas it is
" highly necessary to the safety, quiet,
" good order, and dignity of the state to
" clear up the said doubts by an act OF the
" representatives of the people declaratory
" of the true sense and meaning of the
" constitution, and to insure its Just execu-
+" ton in these particulars according to the
" intent of the trainers thereof, therefore"
etc. With this preamble, the law goes
on to conlne the right of suffrage to white
male citizens of twenty-one years of age
and upwards and the right of suffrage has
been exercised within these limits ever
since.
This, we believe, was the last attempt
in the United States-always excepting
some of the new states and territories west
of the Mississippi-to confer the right of
suffrage on females, and the last attempt
on their part 10 exercise it. The experience
of New Jersey would seem to be decisive
as to the merits of the claim so often made
that female suffrage would result in giving
us purer politics and more honest cleo
tions-but if the experiment is to be re-
tried, we much prefer that it should be in
Colorado rather than in Vermont.
Strikers Brought to Bay by Justice