The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1879-01-15
WOMAN SUFFRAGE.

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In the judgment Of the LEADER, the
cause Of woman suffrage has received
no more serious hurt than the poison it
inhaled at the national woman suffrage
convention held in Washington last
week. In that convention were two
admitted delegates who represented tine
very lowest class of female society
which makes any claims whatsoever to
decency. Those delegates were Mrs.
Wells, one of the wives of the mayor Of
Salt Lake City, and the other, Mrs.
Williams, a daughter of the late Brig
ham Young. ~
In the first place, the recognition of
those delegates showed that the con
vention had no objection to polygamy
on the score Of morality, or it would
not have tolerated the presence of those
females, much less advised and associa-
ted with them. Therefore, the conven-
ton gave. a quasi endorsement of polyg-
amy.
Ladies OF Cheyenne-ladies Of Wyo-
ming, did that convention represent
youp We hope not-nay, we know it
did not.
Secondly, by consorting with those
~polygamous delegates, the convention
not only wounded the honor of the vir-
thousand noble women of Utah who
so bravely protested against polygamy,
but it turned its back to the sentiments
of the millions of pure women of
America who daily pray that this great
curse and dishonor to their sex be re-
moved.
Ladies Of Wyoming, did that conven-
tion represent your
Thirdly, the convention appointed q
committee, the most important of all,
to visit the chief magistrate Of the ma
ton and claim recognition for the
cause Of woman suffrage. The COM
mittee was limited in number as the
LEADERS, dispatches Of yesterday
showed. Yet not only was the polyga-
nous element recognized, but both
delegates from Utah,-delegates who
represented nothing short Of concu-
bines, were placed on this committee,
although there were many other and
better women from whom selections
could have been made.
Ladies' of Wyoming, did that conven-
tion represent you?
And what did the committee do? 1t
must be remembered that the conven-
tion was called to further woman suf-
frage. 1.-THE women Of Utah already
have that priyilege.) The committee
briefly reminded the president of his
having ignored the causeof woman suf-
frage in his message and asked that in
the future he use his powerful influ-
ence in behalf of that cause. He prom
Used to weigh the matter we'll, and here
the true business OF the committee
ended.
But what followed? Why q specta-
Gle of mingled pity and disgrace. The
pleading Of guilty women that the pres
ident put forth a staying hand and save
them from being outcasts on society
and their children from a worse dis
grace. A plea that the chief magis-
trate Of the nation violate his con-
science, his oath of office, his faith, his
everything, and prevent the enforce
ment of just, wise and gracious laws.
1t was an insult to the president of a
progressive people. And there stood, in
all the attitude and person of endorse
ment, the other two women delegates,
all representing the convention, and,
in the name Of the convention for
which they acted, praying that polyga-
my be not only legalized, but moral
lied.
Ladies Of Wyoming, did that conven.
tion represent you?
Society never before saw the specta.
Gle of a supposed representative con.
vention, supposed, we say, to represent
the women of the land-the virtue, the
honor, the purity of society, aiding,
abetting and endorsing that which is
the greatest stain on the society Of the
United States. 1t will not do to say
that these Utah females went to Wash.
ington pleading for a stay of execution
of the law decided valid by the su.
preme court, for they were in the
city several days before the announce.
ment Of that decision, and they had nc
means Of knowing when it would be
given or what it would be. So they
went on Il mission of pride and to es
tablish fellowship. The convention
took them in therefore, with all theil
representative and individual sins, ant
we can see no extenuating circumstanc,
for the act.
We have spoken plainly, for til,
subject demands plain terms. 1t il
trifing with the birthright Of the op
pressed sex. We feel that the cause o.
woman suffrage, has been grossly
wronged and insulted, and as silence
would be construed as acquiescence, We
take this opportunity of protesting, az
the representative paper of Wyoming,
in behalf of the woman of this terrific,
ry, against the outrage to the cause,