The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1878-02-28
THE NEW CONSTITUTION.
PEK1N, w. T., Feb. 1S, 1878.

Ill yO"i N"iu"Di0 P"POi VI i0oOho
number, l saw an article on the sub
ject of ''The new constitution" pur-
porting to come from somebody liv
ing in your town. He did not sign
his name to the article but puts down
three stars instead of it. Evidently
not stars of the first magnitude either,
if may Judge from some of the ideas
he writes about. Talking about what
the new constitution should provide
for, he refers first to suffrage, and says
as follows: Common paupers and
those adjudged vagrants should be
disenfranchised," but he ought not to
put them down along with idiots and
insane people, for what if man is
poor and out of luck, is it always his
fault? and in this free country pov-
erty is no crime, and then if the con-
stitution be got up as he says, what
rich opportunity would be made for
corrupt politicians to go around be-
fore the election and have poor peo-
pie adjudged to be paupers and va
grants, to keep them from voting their
sentiments. This would be the first
step, the first wedge as it were, to
making a government based on prop
erty and capital, and might lead to
the overthrow of true Democratic
ideas. In this new country we can't
well afford to disfranchise any white
male citizens, even although they be
poor as Jobs turkey. And then un-
der this head your star correspondent
shows himself to be in favor of the
heresy of woman suffrage, and is in
favor of submitting the subject in a
seperate clause to the popular vote.
Now, we do not agree in this at all,
and think the good folks of Wash
ington Territory will not allow so
hurtful measure as woman suffrage
to be put into their constitution. The
Creator Himself never designed that
women should occupy the same sphere
with men. They are differently Or
ganized from men. Their sphere is
by the fireside and in the family cir
Gle. A woman's life should be de-
voted to her children and to home
duties, not to the affairs of Govern
ment. She has done a noble work
for the whole race in her God-ap-
pointed sphere, and to take her from
it and put her on level with the rab
BILE and the politicians, as she would
be if she voted, would indeed be dis
astrous. The constitutional conven-
ton should look to this subject and
see that no fanatic like your star cor
respondent works in any abominable
doctrine like woman suffrage. The
people won't stand it if it is done,
and the consequence will be the con-
stitution will be beat at the voting
time. And now | come to taxes.
Your star correspondent has evidently
been talking with those Clarke county
Representatives in the last Legislature,
who, in vanity, thought they would
do smart thing by taxing churches
and charitable organizations. They
will be sorry that they ever went in
to such an unwise thing, and ] may
fairly say iniquitons scheme. What
would this republic be without
churches and the Bible? Don't they
form the basis of morals in the nation? /?
and is it not them that is every year
molding anew the best hearts of the
country and making the forward
march of right progress? The little
the churches get in this Territory is
not felt in the different communities,
and they give value received for every
particle of money they have out of