Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-03-17
WOMAN SUFFRAGE.

When the joint resolution to amend the
State Constitution, SO as to confer the
right of suffrage upon women, came be-
fore the State Senate for consideration,
on Friday, March 18th, 1880, Senator
Bennett offered the following amendment:
Amend by inserting the word "male,"
Immediately after the word "any," in the
third line of the printed joint resolution,
and inserting the words "any male" i'm
mediately after the word "and," in the
fifth line thereof.
Amend by inserting Immediately after
the word reside in the eighteenth line
of said printed joint resolution, the fol-
lowing words: "Any female citizen of
the United States of the age of twenty
oDe-years and upwards, who shall have
resided in the state during the six months,
and in the town, ward or election pre-
cinct ten days Immediately preceding
such election, and any female of foreign
birth OF the age of twenty-one years and
upwards, who shall have resided in the
United States one year, and in the town,
ward or election precinct ten days imme-
diately preceding such election, and shall
have declared her intention to become
citizen of the United States, conformably
to the laws of the United States on the
subject OF naturalization, at least ten
days Immediately preceding the election,
and shall be the owner of any real estate
in the town, ward or election precinct in
which she resides, and shall pay the taxes
thereon, or shall in her own proper name
conduct and carry on any business, trade
or occupation, in connection with which
and as necessity for carrying on or con-
Quoting such business, trade or occupa-
ton, she shall be the owner of any per-
sonal property for which she shall paw
any tax, or shall be actually occupied as
a public school teacher, and shall have
been awarded and shall hold state GER
tificate OF a public school teacher, shall
be entitled to vote in the township, ward
or election precinct where she may reside.
The Senator urged upon the senate to
! approach this question in a serious spirit,
and with due regard to its tremendous
Importance. He said if there was any
idea of regarding the matter as joke, he
begged them to dismiss it right there and
then before they voted upon the question.
He urged them to remember that the popu-
latlon CT this state were not all born and
reared In the same country, but came
from nearly every country under heaven
with differing views of woman's rights
and social station, and any law that the
Legislature might enact on this question
that ran ahead of the popular conviction
would be dead letter practically, but
an amendment that melted out fair
measure Of common justice to woman,
that placed her on an equality, political
ly, with the political position of woman
in England, as his amendment would, if
adapted, a gradual, progressive improve
ment would take place, and very proba-
bly, meet with the appreciation and sup
port of the great body of the people
which ought to be satisfactory to all con-
cerned..
The amendment proposed by Senator
Bennett, was lost, and the joint resolution
comforting the suffrage on woman, was
adopted, Ayes,19 Noes IL.
The vote was as follows:
Ayes-Senators Anderson, Bennett.
Dering, Griffin, Grimmer, Houghtor'
Hyde, Kellogg, McGrew, Morgan, Paul.
Price, Quarles, Ryland, Scott, Thomas.
Van Steenwyk, Weaver and Woodman |
-19.
Noes-Senators Burrows, Carter, FL
field, Haben, Kelly, McFetridge, Ran |
kin, Richardson, Sacket, Smith and Van
Schaick-11.
Not Voting--Senators Blackstone,