The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1884-09-11
BELVA LOCKWOOD.
She Writes a Letter Accepting the
Presidential Nomination of the
Woman's Rights Party.

Marietta l.. Stowe. President: Eliza G. Webb,
Secretary: and members OF the Woman's Ma
tional Equal Rights party:
Having been duly notified OF your action I'm
convention assembled of Aug. %, 1894 In nomi-
naling me as a candidate for the high position
choice of the EQUAL Rightssparty. and although
feeling unworthy and incompetent to fill SO high
place, am constrained to accept the nomina-
ton so generously and enthusiastically ten
dered by the only political party which really
and truly represents the interests of our whole
people, North and South, East and West, be-
cause l believe that with your unanimous and
cordial support, and the fairness and justice of
our cause, i shall not only be able TO carry the
election, but TO guide the ship OF state safely
into port In furtherance of this purpose, have
to say that should It be my good fortune to be
elected, and should 9pr party. with its grand
contemplated election, 1t Will be my earnest
effort to promote and maintain equal political
privileges to every class OF our citizens ire
spective of sex, color, or nationality, and to
make Of this great and glorious country in
truth what IL has so long been in naine-"the
land OF the free and the home of the brave |
shall seek to insure fair distribution of the
public offices to women as well as to men, with
scrupulous regard to civil service reform, after
women are duly installed into the offices. am
also In accord with the platform OF the party in
the desire to foster American industries, and In
sympathy with the working men and women or
the country who are organized against free
trade, for the purpose OF rendering the laboring
classes OF our country comfortable and indie
=
widow, believe in the re-enactment OF the arrears
act, and the increase of pensions to widows be-
lieving that the surplus revenues of the coun-
try can not be better used than in clothing
the widows and educating the orphans of our
nations defenders. i would also suggest the
adjustment OF the pension office, its compli-
Gated and technical machinery, which so beau
tifully illustrates how not to do il. and recon-
mend in its stead three Commissioners, whose
only duty should consist in requiring from an
applicant for invalid pension his certificate Of
honorable wiz n
marriage; and from the mother. proof of birth.
/ am opposed TO monopoly in the sense of men
mopopolizing all OF the votes and all OF the
offices, and at the same time insisting upon
having the distribution of all OF the money,
both public and private. 1t Is this sort OF monop
oily that has made possible the large breaches OF
trust with Government officials, caused bank
suspensions, and defalcations all over the coun-
try. 1t has engendered and fostered strikes.
! am opposed TO the wholesale monopoly OF the
judiciary OF the country by male voters. IL
elected, shall feel it incumbent on nh to APP
point reasonable number of women District
Attorneys Marshals, and Judges Of the United
States, and would appoint any competent wo-
man TO any vacancy that might occur on the
United States Supreme Bench. L am in full
sympathy with the temperance, advocates of the
country. especially the Womans Christian
Temperance Union but believe that woman sur
frage will have greater tendency to abolish the
liquor traffic than prohibition will bring about
woman suffrage. III the former is adopted, the
latter will be its PROBABLE sequence.
If elected. shall recommend in my inaugural
a uniform system of laws as far as practicable for
all of the States, and especially for marriage, di-
vorce, and the limitations of contracts and such
regulation of laws of descent and distribution
of estates will make the wife equal with the
husband in authority and right. and an equal
partner in the common business. favor an
extension OF our commercial relations with
foreign countries, and especially with the Cen
trail and South American States, and the estab-
lishment Ola high court Of arbitration to which
shall be referred all differences that may
arise between them and the United States
My Indian policy would be, first, to have the
Government pay them what it owes them, to
break up their tribal relations, distribute to
them their lands in severalty, and make them
citizens amenable to the laws of the land al
other white and colored citizens are. While we
symp athize with unhappy Ireland and depre-
cate oppression on one side and lawlessness on
the other, our neutral policy as a nation does
not allow any public expression front our peo-
pie. Due consideration will be giver. to the in
terest of the honest, industrious, home-lovine
German.
Again thanking you, ladies, for your express
sions of esteem. think that may safely say
fully indorse your whole platform. Cordially
yours, BELyA A. LOCKWOOD.
Washington, d. c., Sept. 4, 1884.