Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1877-01-05
Appeal for a Sixteenth Amendment,

To the Women Of the United States:
Having celebrated our Centennial birthday
with National jubilee, let us now dedicate
the dawn Of the Second Century to securi ng
justice to Women.
For this purpose.we ask you 10 circulate a
petition 10 Congress. just issued by the INA.
TIoNAL WOMAN SCFFRAGE Association, TASK
ing an amendment TO the United States Con.
stitu.nn, that shall prohibit The several States
from disfranchisirg any Of their citizens on
account Of Sex. We have already seIt this
petition throughout the county for the sigma
lures OF those men snd We men who believe in
the citizens right to vote.
To see how large a petition each State rolls
mp, and 10 do the work ms txpeditOusy y 8 pos
sible, il is necessary that some person, or sn
ciety in each State aud District should take
the matter in charge, print and send out pcii-
tlons to reliable friends in every county urg
ing upon all thoroug hness and haste. When
the petitions re TetuI ned they should be pasted
together, neatly rolled up, the number Of sig
natures marked on the outside, with the name
OF the State, and forwarded to Sarah Andrews
Spencer, Chairman Of the Congressional Com
mittee corner Of l. and 7ih street, Washing
ton, ID. G. On the 18th and 18th Of January,
1877, we shall held our 9th Annual Convention n
at the Capital, and ask bearing on our peti.
tInn before Congress,
and National, tor years, many from wear mess
and despair have vowed To appeal no more; for
our petitions, SAY they ,by The tens OF thousand
are piled up mid the National archives nm
heed ed and ignored. Yet, il ia possible 10 roll
up such mammoth petition, borne into Con-
gress on the shoulders Of slalwart men, that
we caR no longer be neg elected or forg otte n.
statesmen n aud palIticians. alike, are conquered
by mnj0rities. We urge women of this coun-
| try 10 make now the same united effort for
their own rights, that they did for the slaves
at the South when the 18th amendmen Mt was
pending. Then a petition Of over 800 900 was
rolled mp by the leaders Of the suffrage mos @.
meni, and presented in the Senate by the II lrn.
Charles sumner. But the leading stalesme n
who welcomed woman's untiring Efforts to Sc
cure the black mans freedom, fruwned down
the same demands when made for her self. Is
not liberty as sweet to her as to him9 Are
not the political disabilities Of Sex MS grievOus
ms those of color? IL not a civil rights bill
That shall open to women the college doors, ths
trades and pr ofes sions--tLa shall secure her
persona and property rights, as necessary for
| her-pr0ieciiun. as fer that Of the cOOred ma
| And yet the highest judicial author tiles ave
| decided that the spirit and letter of our Ma.
| uonal Constitution are not broad enough t0
| protect Woman in her political rights; and
Tor the redress OF her wrongs they remand her
! to the Stale. II this Magma ChaTiA Of Human
Rights can be thus narrowed by jud cial inter.
pretntinns in favor Of class legislation, then
| must We demand an amendment that in clear
unfnistakable language, shall declare the
| equality uf all citizens before the law.
Women are citizens first Ofthe United States
! and second Of the State wherein they reside
hence, II robbed by State authorizes of any
right founded in nature or secured by Law, the '
have the same right to national protection
! GgainSt the State as against the infringements
OF any foreign power. Ii the United States
GovernmeIt can punish woman for voting ir
one State, why has II not the same power Il
protect her in the exercise of that right in ev.
| cry Sintef The Constitution declares II the
duty Of Congress to guarantee to every State a
republican form Of governmc nj. to every citi.
zen 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 eHdow
where they are denied the right to practice Law
and are thus debarTed from one Of the most
lucrative professions; where they arc denied
voice in the GoVeTnme ut , and thus while
suffering all the ills that grow out Of the giant
evils Contemporaries prostitution, war, heavy
| taxation and political corruption. stand powe
lest to effect any reform. Prayers, tears
psalm singing exposlulatiOnH are light in the
balance compared with that power at the bal
lot box that converts opinions into law. II
women who are la boring for peace, tempe ra nee
social pnrity and the rights Of labor, won Id
take the speediest way 10 accomplish whal
they propose, let them demand the ballot boz
into their own hands that they may have a di
rect power in the goVernment. Thus only car
| they improve the conditions OF the outside
world aud purify the home. As political
equality is the door to civil, eiigious and 80.
eial liberty, here muSt our work begin.
Constituting, as we do, one half the pen pie
bearing the burdens Of one-balf the national
debt, equally responsible with man for The
education, religion and morals Of the risi nR
generation, let us with united voices send forth
4 protest against the present pOlitica status OF
woman, that shall echo and re-eeho through
| the land. In view Of the numbers and char
actsT OF those making the demand, this should
bethe largest petition ever yet rolled up ia
| the Old World or the New a petition iha
shall forever settle the popnla objection thA
/ - women do not want 10 vote"
On behalf Of the National Woman Suffrage
| Association,
ELIZABETH CADV STANTON, President.
MATILDA JOsLYk GAaE, Chair. Ex. Com.
SUsAN B. AETHoHY Cor. Secretary.
TESATLY, n. j., Noy. 10, 1878.