Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1878-01-24
WE copy from the PITTSBURGH Dis.

W CoPy iioiu lHc L iVtsOuTSn DtS-
patch the following as the text of what
the women wish to accomplish, who
recently met in convention at Wash
inston. The whole subject is so sue
cinctly stated in condesed form that
We have no hesitatancj in giving it
place in our columns:
They ask for sixteenth amend
ment to the Constitution of the United
States, They do not ask that it shall
require women to vote. IF the pro-
posed amendment were adopted not
woman in Pennsylvania state would
touch a ballot if she does not wish to.
They do ask that women who do wish
to vote, who consider it their duty and
their right to vote, shall be protected
in that right.
Many of the very best women in
this republic do wish to vote on such
questions, for instance, as the taxa
| tlsn of their own property, the licens-
ing of liquor selling, the licensing of
houses of prostitution.
81 presume some women would like
to vote for the mayor of the city in
which they reside, if they saw their
rot.s might place in power a man of
unblem;shed character Those women
at Washington also asked that after
1850 there shall be an :" educational
qualification to the right of suffrage.
"This seems very wise request con-
corning very grave matter, when we
consider that many of the most ignor-
ant and degraded classes of Europe
and Asia are constantly coming to this
country and being converted into 'citi-
zens. and through their votes are like
ly to control many Of the interests Of
this country. It looks little like
wisdom and craftsmanship to prepare
for possible dangers.
These women also request that edu-
cation shall be compulsory In other
words, that the tens Of thousands of
children srarming in alleys and tene-
ment houses, reared in ignorance and
vice, shall. for the future safet, of So
"lety and the state. be sent to school
and be trained to virtue, industry and
responsibility
" Every idle, vicious boy Of this
class will not only become voter, but
dangerous man in many ways. and
every vicious girl will become the
mother Of criminals. and these Wash.
linton women suggest that the state
protect itself and protect society by
educating this class These are the
principal requests those women made
Now, can any sensible man tell what
there is in these requests so ridiculous
that newspapers make merry about
them and at the women who made
tham7
"Just as certain as the years roll on,
will he women of this country be en-
franchised, and Just as certain will the
history OF these times make known tho
names of notable towards and ieercrs Of
these women. whether on the floors of
congress or at the heads Of newspapers
| wish to add few words more. The
vote in Colorado revealed an imnort-
ant fact, that in the Mexican counties
where the men are ignorant nud tI,.i,
wives still more ignorant and degraded,
the vote was to man opposed to wo-
man suffrage, while in the other coun-
ties it was in favor of woman suffrage,
just in proportion as the men were
educated and refined and their wives
educated. | will not say this estab-
fishes a ruls without an exception
There are educated, refined men who
are no. vet convinced of the practical
bility Of woman suffrage, and they are
not always courteous to the women
who claim this right. but III gene,a nj
the intelligence of community may
he Judged by the acknowledgement of
the justice of woman suffrage.
Mrs. HELEN p. JENKINS.