The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1881-02-23
WOMAN SUFFRAGISTS.
The House Of Representatives Appealed
To.
MRS. DR.. Haggart and Helen Cougar
Represent the Claims of the
Fair Sex to the Ballot.
A recess was taken BY the House Of Rep


selected to represent the matter before the
Legislature.
MRS. DR.. HAGGART
was the first speaker. and her address was as
follows:
GENTLEMEN OF THE HorsE oP REPRESENTATIVES.
Suffrage Association 70 nr sue i ,h oman
women OF this State TO ask the privilege OF exer
cising the right OF selfgovernment | do not
forward anything new or startling TO establish the
business OF our claims. What shall say will be
principally reiteration OF what have many
ments in favor of the acknowledgements of women
are truths strong and as unanswerable and
old as the free institutions of
by those inclined to sheer at this movement, that
this thing OF giving the Equal Suffiagists hear
Ing before our Legislature has grown only TO the
proportions OF standing joke, and is thing to
be looked for as a matter of course. True states
manship under existing conditions seems not TO
be a necessary ingredient In our politics conse-
quently the recognition of the principle sf right
with an effort to apply IL. may strike some a. be-
ing huge joke or a thing so novel and out Of
place, that even gallantry Is excused should IL
assume the shape OF martyrdom.
Gentlemen. Notwithstanding the severe trials
which courtesy and gallantry are ordained to
daughters Of Indiana 10 say how and by whom
they shall be governed will not down." II may
be moved aside this year only to confront you in
withstanding II is declared from seemingly high
sources that women have never had any political
abilities, yet Government presupposes that women
zens. Government exacts from 10 man politically
the ability TO aid In Its support through taxation
IL exacts from women politically the abilities to
obey the laws. and suffer the penalty of violated
laws and imposes upon her such political disebil-
ities as having no right 10 consent 10 government
no representatio for taxation no voice part I'm
framing the laws, and no participation in fixing
the penalties she shall suffer for the violation OF
law. This is done while il is universally con-
coded that the right to participate i'm the forma-
ton and enactment of laws is bonn with and is
inSeperable from responsibility TO law.
Many OF the opponents of woman suffrage
with the right 10 vote as they are with the right
OF life, liberty and the pursuit of happi-
ne.s. They claim that suffrage is the
right to regulate it In any way that II may deem
best for the common good. Now, If suffrage is
the gift Of the state can il be explained from
whence the state in its origin derived this gift?
States, at their birth, or at any other time, are
only sections OF citizens founded upon a compact
which, to accord with the spirit and intent of
under this compact nothing which permits the
free exercise OF self-goyernment not inherent in
the authors Of such COMPACT, and nothing ill.,
heres in the authors of republican Constitutions
and compacts not equally inherent in
all the people agreeing to and coming under the
jurisdiction of such compacts. If men born
with the right OF life liberty and the pursuit OF
happiness, they are also born with the right to
give expression as to how, and in what manner
life, liberty and happiness are to be maintained
and in this Government, which processes 20 rest
upon the consent of the governed this expression
Is given through the ballot, consequently the ex-
preston OF freeman's will Is as Godgiyen as his
right 10 be free.
The Constitution Of this Union declares its peO-
pie TO be citizens first of the United States, and
second of the State wherein they reside con-
sequently Il avails nothing To discourse learn
edly upon the inequality of the natural, physical
and mental conditions OF men and women. They
are people still and citizens all the same II all
men, even, are created unequal the inequality con-
ssts alone in those things i'll which there Is no
uniformity. IL Nature does with equal laws tend
always to diversity. this diversity has nothing
whatever to do with destroying or annuling the
equitableneSS of the laws. Unequal conditions,
mentally and physically. affect in no manner the
equity OF the rights and claims of all people. Con-
ditons have always been. still and always will
be unequal and diversified. and al the same time
the equality of all people in its popular sense re-
why all are not now willing To concede to
woman the right OF expressing her will
in Government Is just because the majority of
the people have thus far failed utterly TO grasp
the full meaning OF the term liberty" and To
acknowledge the overmastering supremacy OF
justice.
After all, when every argument has been dis.
cussed pro and con, and every objection duly
considered and set aside, We are compelled to fall
back upon the palpable fact that woman's claim
to the ballot is not conceded just because there is
power to withhold it, We approach a voter and
a law-maker upon this question and ask for an
expression concerning the luSuce OF our claims.
We are told instantly TO turn all our guns upon
the women. We are urged to convert
the women, and are assured that
when we get the 100000 or 10000 900
of women citizens to rise up and say that
| they want to vote, the request is to be
granted. Now it has always been the habit of
| statesmen, statute makers and those supposed to
be wise above all that is written" when cOBsd-
ering the propriety of granting new privilege, to
talk much about precedent. Can any one think
| that we women people have any precedent what
l n
would lead US 10 expect that before we can begin
that privilege OF expressing the right of suffrage.
! il is incumbered upon us 10 prepare all the
women of the Nation to desire and demand the
ballot? The precedent in the business, in so far
as we have any history concerning
since its foundation, would very
naturally lead US to expect that instead OF each
and all of us becoming Suffrage Missionaries TO
twenty millions of women, that the ballot would
be handed over TO us without SO much as asking
whether we wanted IL or not The shackles fell
in this Nation, without their so much lifting a
| hand. Civil rights dropped upon them unasked.
and political abilities. in the shape of full I'M
trammeled citizenship crowned them, unde-
( bands and brothers tell us whom they ad-
nit have the intelligence of the average voter,
| that there is no principle of justice or right
that can exclude us from the exercise of
| this privilege, but that we must get the
women ready to demand il before we can get it..
Now IL this question is settled by States ii Will be
! left TO the voters and not to the women to decide
and ii suffrage comes to women through Six
teenth Amendment to the National Constitution,
/ women will not have opportunity of passing
/ upon the question. consequently II We heed the
dictates of logic and reason will devote our best
energies and strongest efforts to converting those
/ 10 whom we must look for the removal OF the dis
abilities which now prevent our exercising the
/ right of suffrage. Two hundred and twenty five
thousand women in Ohio and one hundred and
eighty thousand in Illinois have expressed de-
sire TO vote, and over one hundred thousand w0-
men have notified the United States Congress
through petitions that they require of political
| rights and the force of these appeals upon our
Senator'S and Representatives Is exhibited in the
1 tie vote upon our bill in the House judiciary
Committee of the Forty-ffth Congress. and also in
| the mastery minority report OF Senators Hoar,
! Cameron and Mitchell.
| Mrs II. proceeded in this manner argumenta-
lively to present facts favorable TO this movement
and closed with an appeal TO the Members OF the
| House as followsl
| Now. honorable Members of this State Assem-
bly,. in efforts to the privileges of cit
justice and love OF fair dealing TO take step be-
fore the expiration of this term that will declare
TO the ssterhood of States that the Legislators of
Indiana not only had the grand courage of their
convictions, but the clear foresight Of men who
note the logic OF events and understand the gem
eral drift OF public opinion. You are not asked
10 grant our demands from any sentimental
standpoint. We ask not for sympathy because
you have sacred recollections of cherished moth
ers and peaceful and beautiful homes but be-
cause the privilege OF exercising the God-giyen
right OF self-governmenti is withheld from an in-
telligent. law-abiding class of citizens in this
| Commonwealth; because the mcfhers and
daughters of Indiana are deprived of the symbol
and safeguard of self.government; because the