McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-09-25
MRS. LOCKWOOD'S LETTER.


The Female Candidate for President De-
sires Euerybody's Vote.
Mrs. Belva A. Lockwood, the we'll
known woman lawyer in Washington,
who has been nominated for president
of the United States by the ''woman's
national equal rights party" in Cali
fornia, has sent the following letter of
acceptance:
Marietta L. Stow, president; Eliza C.
Webb, secretary, and member of the
party: Having been duly notified of
your action, in convention assembled
August %, 1884, in nominating me as
the candidate for the high position of
chief magistrate of the United States, as
the choice of the equal rights party,
although feeling unworthy and incom-
petent to fill so high place, am con-
strained to accept the nomination so
generously and enthusiastically ten
dered by the only political party who
really and truly represent the interests
of our whole people, north, south, east
and west, because believe that with
your unanimous and cordial support
and the fairness and justice of our
cause we shall not only be able to carry
the election but to guide the ship of
state safely into port.
In the furtherancc of this purpose /
have to say that, should our party with
sits grand platform of principles be sue
cessful in the contemplated election, it
will be my earnest effort to promote and
maintain equal political privileges to
every class of our citizens, irrespective
of sect, color or nationality, and to
make of this great and glorious country
in truth what it has so long been in
name, "the land of the free and the
home of the brave" I shall seek to in
sure a fair distribution of the public
offices to women as well as men, with
scrupulous regard to civil service reform
after the women are duly installed in
office.
l am also in accord with the platform
of the party in the desire to protect and
foster American industries, and in SYM
pathy with the working men and women
of the country who are organized
against free trade for the purpose of
rendering the laboring classes of our
country comfortable and independent.
1 sympathize with the soldier and the
soldiers widow, believe in the re-enact-
ment of the arrears act and the increase
of pensions to widows, believing that
the surplus revenues of the country
cannot be better used than in clothing
the widows and educating the orphans
of our nations defenders. Iwould also
suggest the adjustment of the pension
office with its complicated and techni-
cal machinery, which so bountifully
illustrates how not to do it, and recon-
mend in its stead three commissioners,
whose only duty should consist in re-
curing from an applicant for invalid
pension his certificate of honorable dis
charge, from a widow proof of mar
rage and from mother proof of birth.
l am opposed to monopoly in the
sense of the men of the country monop-
olizing all of the votes and all of the
offices, and at the same time insisting
upon having the distribution of all the
money, both public and private. 1t is
this sort of monopoly that has made
possible large breaches of trust with
government officials caused bank sus-
pensions and an epidemic Of defalca-
tons over the country. 1t has engen-
dered and fostered strikes.
1 am opposed to the wholesale mo-
nopoly of the judiciary of the country
be the male voters. If elected I shall
feel it incumbent on me to appoint a
reasonable number of women as dis
trict attorneys, marshals and judges of
United States, and would appoint some
competent woman to any vacancy that
might occur on the United States bench.
l am in full sympathy with the temper
ance advocates of the country, espe-
cially the N. G. T. o., but believe that
woman suffrage will have a greater
tendency to abolish the liquor traffic
than prohibition will to bring about
woman suffrage. If the former is
adopted she latter will be its probable
sequence.
If elected 1 shall recommend in my
inaugural speech uniform system Of
laws, as far as practicable, for all of the
states, and especially for marriage,
divorce and the limitation of contracts,
and such a regulation of the laws of
descent and distribution of estates as
will make the wife equal with the hus-
band in authority and right, and an