, 1878-07-25

sought to Danish him from the earth. And
the mothers OF men titled the fields and
wove the homespun, and guarded their
brothers and sisters of freedom. and pro-
tectcd their homes and substance from the
willy and cruel savage; and strong men
Dlt the dust and died. in defense of their
lives, their hearthstones and their sacred
honor.
But need not follow that sanguinary
struggle further MY constituents bid me
say to you that from their childhood they
have conned these lessons oyer-lesSons
which form an important part Of every
schools text books. They could not
choose but learn them il they would. And
having learned the lessons. they have
caught the spirit of liberty; aud now they
would tain ally themselves, MS individual
sovereigns. with their fathers. husbands.
sons and brothers in the
NEW STATE OF WASHINGTON.
And he. like them. as they of right ought
to be free and independent" y
Mr.. President. my constituents ask me
to call your attention. and that of this
honorable body to the mutual grievances of
men and women. as set forth in their
original bill OF rights. that you may see as
they do. how exactly parallel the com
plants Of women run to-day with those
OF men hundred years ago. They COM
plain, and aver with good reason. that
notwithstanding the significance of the
first clarion CRY Of the child liberty a cry
which has been everywhere repeat
ed and re-echOcd with larger uttcrance
for hundred years, that their inalenabe
equal right to life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness is yet circumscribed BY
special legislation, which denies to them
equal immuDitics and privileges with
another class, and refuses thus far to grant
to them the equal protection of the laws.
"'FO prove this let facts bp submitted to q
candid world:" One half of the poop G,
In their assumed Office as sovereign. con-
stitute a practical arlstocracy-an aristo-
craCy of sex. Aud this. too, n am bid
den to say to you. in direct violation of
the sacred instrument, from which quote.
Permit ne to speak of this consolidated
aristocracy rs an individual, for the pur-
pose OF more thoroughly calculating MY
meaning He has refused his assent to
laws the most wholesome and necessary
for the public good. He has forbidden
his governors to pass laws OF Immediate
ana pressing importance. unless suspend
ed in their operation till his assent should
be obtained, aud when sil suspended, has
utterly resused to attend to them. He has
refused to pass other laws for the accom-
modation Of large districts of people, nm
less they would relinquisb TO representa-
tiOn Ia the legislature right lnestlmable
70 them. and formidable to tyFants only.
He has obstructed the administration OF
| Justice by refusing to grant us judiciary
powers. He has made uS dependent upon
his will alone for the tenure of our offices,
and the amount and payment OF onr
salaries. He has erected multitude of
new offices aud scnt,sent hither Swarms of
new officers to harass our people and eat
ont our substance"
"For imposing taxes upon us without
our consent. For lepriving us in all
cases of the benefits of n trial bv Jury of
our peers. For taking away our charters.
abolishing our most valable laws and al
tering fundamentally the forms of our
government For declaring himself IN
vested with power to legiSlate for Us in all
cases whatsoever.
He has excited domestic inSurectiOn
among us by imposing peculiar legal and
financial disabilities upon us when mar
ried."
"He has held two codes OF laws in pro-
bate courts. one tor man, In which Sill
preme financial power Is his assumed and
usurped prerogntive. and another for wo-
man, wherein she is received of every al
tentative, save only that of silent and I'M
questioning obedience To laws of his eX-
elusive milking"
Mr.. President, and gentlemen Of the
conventions: My constituents bid me to
say to you that they especially deplOre the
growing domestic insurrectiOn among the
wives Of this soon-to-be sovereign state.
They also divine the primal cause of this
insurrcctiOn. You. gentlemen. would br
equally rebellious under equal political
and financial restraint, else Won would be
unworthy OF your boasted manhood. We
regard
THE HOME As PARAMOUNT TO ALL ELSE,
And the domestic hcarthstone rs the Sa.
cred guardian OF human liberties. But
we have learned that. first of all, there
must he Il home 10 keep, and united
heal to keep it. And we have so often
heard the hard earned home Swcp: from
us. by and through the unwarrantabc
jurisdiction exercised over us by the ariS-
tocracy o sex, that we find domestic rebel
lion aud instruction constantly on the in
crease. and ii Is not possible foruS. or you,
to cure the effect till the cause ceaSes. OPP
preston Is, and ever has been the mother
OF discomfort. For hundred years you
have tried to navigate the ship OF state
with one ol its wheels manacled. Strange.
very strange, ii you do not see that ship
half d'abIed, cannot sail straight on.
What wonder that she i drifting upon the
rocks? What, indeed. there is 20 hinder /?
The opportunity has come tor this honor
able body to take the initial step towards
unbinding that shattered aud disabled
wheel. In the veStibulc Oi o'd Indepen-
dence Hall, in Philadelphia, there is tab
let upon which is inscribed III letters of
bronze these immortal words OF William
Penn. ANY government Is tree to the
people under it when the laws rule, and
the people are a party to the laws; and
more than this Is tyranny, oligarchy and
confusion" What mean the mighty
comnOtions that shake your political