Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-12-26

AfOi suS SOuAicH-
MEssRs. EDITORS Having receiy
ed notice from the Chairman of thu
Woman Suffrage Association of
convention to be held in Washington
Jan. Sth and 9th, 1878, by the friendl
of the cause of woman suffrage, per
init me to notice the same through
your columns, and speak few word
that seem to be pressing upon m,
mind. Delegates of this convention
are to have hearing before the Sen
ate Committee on Privileges and Elec
tons, and it is desired they be pres
ent from all the States and Territor
les to lay this subject before th,
members of Congress to the end tina
q Sixteenth Amendment be submit
ted to the Constitution enfranchisine
the women citizens of the United
| States.
The necessity of such convention
the heroic and arduous work of thu
women, circulating petitions, making
personal appeals and all the para
phernalia requisite for such proceed
ings in this great land of liberty, free
dom and eqnaliiy, to obtain recog.
milton Of the right to, tflife, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness fhi
right of self-government at the ballo
boz OF fully one half the best citizens
of the Republic, seems to me TO be !
strange spectacle. After century
of Boosting Of the Gland of the fret
and the home of the brave" the
taunts and jeers about the injustice
and oppression Of other governments
the women citizens Of this country
have to meet and humbly pray and
petition these boosted and boastinp
freemen for their freedom, or remain
in political servitude. But 80 it is.
II it takes a century of wrongs and
|injustice-a great guilty stain wiped
out IN bloodshed and treasure spent,
to come to recognize the fact that the
Great Republic is still half slave and
half free, what wonderful advance
ment may be made in the next hun
dred years. Let us be hopeful.
But the work of petitioning is GO
Ing bravely on. Already more than
ten thousand signatures have been
presented to Congress, and there will
be az many more presented by Feb.
Let, B7S. And let me say, the wo-
men friends of the causa should send
IA their appeals, personal appeals;
they should not wait for some one to
Gall on them to sign petition, but il
they think-being citizens-that their
political disabilities should be remov-
ed and they be declared invested with
full power to exercise their right of
self government at the ballot box, let
them sit down and write a petition
TO that ebect. Write out. two copies,
one for Ne Senate and one for the
House, and send to Mrs. Sara An
drews SPENCER, Chairman Cong.
Com, Wilmington, d. C. / believe
you have bomething to say how this
government should be conducted.
Ifnot the Individuals OF the masses,
who hayeP You and 1, dear sister
woman, hslve right to make our In
fluence felt on this age and genera
ton, and We have q right to choose
our own way no man has q right to
choose or mark out our path Of duty.
We can Sfftd it ourselves IL we wish
to look Tor il, and finding it we
should have the liberty towaIk there
in. What greater influence than the
privileges to 30 to the ballot box and
deposit that little folded leaf, which
in our hands, ! am sure, would be-
come an instrument Of justice, Of or
der, and OF law. 1t would abolish
abuses, tear down the old rotten and,
corrupt institutions which men can't
or will not stack, or touch them 60
lightly they are rather the better for
il. Ii would start this old world for
ward ct such a rate of speed that
some folks might be jostleds out Of
their time worn ruts and do them
good, too. $500 ..5 =. !
Being Z lover of my country, de-
string her welfare and prosperity,
and the perpetuity of Whatever 10
true and correct in principles iembOd-
led in her form Of government, being
desirous of her progress and advanc-
ment in the diffusion Of knowledge
and intelligence, of giving to all who
see the light or breathe the dir. the
use, mot abuse, of the broad est, grand
est freedom, desire the success
Of this cause. Being so DESTROYS
I, cannot remain silent. It seems
/ am impelled to speak. Would
l had strength TO assist in
the promulgetion of the truth
as # is now coming uppermosti
in the agitati0nto of this subject. That
in the years that are to come, 10 we
move onward In the circle Of centu.
ries, from the sphere that ! shall
dwell in with an individual conscious
existence, the waves OF memory fl0w-
ing backwards, I may see my country
MT and good and truly great, That