Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-02-20
ADVOCATING WOMAN SUFFRAGE.
women Plead Their own Caaso Before
the House Judicfary Committee.


A delegation from the woman's Suffrage
association presented their case very Soreioly
TO the House Judiciary committee to-day. The
chairman, MI. Tucker, and pretty fair mum
Der OF the committee were present, besides
other members of the House. Miss Susan b.
Anthony introduced the subject In few briei
remarkA Then the orators Of the OCCASION
Virginia l. Minor, Eliza A. Merriwether, Mary
r. Eastman, Julia B. Nelson, Mrs. James Ben.
nett, Helen NJ. Cougar, Martha r. Field and
Mary Wright Sewell-addressed the commit
tee. Very strong arguments were presented
upon the constitutional and equitable bearing
of the case and the committee listened with
marked attention.
MRS. MINORS ADDRESS.
Mrs. Minor said that they were there to ask
snat the intention Of the founders Of the gov
eminent be carried out, and claimed that the
rights OF women to have voice in matters per
knowledged by the founders of the govern
ment, and that women voted for the first three
Presidents of the United States. She held that
Inc right OF property carried with 1t the right
10 vote, but that the right she claimed to be tue
strongest was that of the working women, who
had 10 earn their living, whether they ala OF
ala not hold property.
A TALK BY MRS. MERRIwErHER.
Mrs. Merriwether said that while Miss An
thony had been prosecuted for voting and Mrs.
Minor had been prevented from exercising
that privilege when she had made the attempt,
she had voted in Tennessee, and her vote had
been counted. She asked the committee to
LOOK at the question from business standpoint.
Had they the right to force upon the women
whomsoever they pleased to be agents for their
property? She called attention TO the school
She pictured drunken and disreputable school
teachers, Upheld by equally drunken and dis
reputable school trustees, and told the com,
mlttee now mothers who had tried to defend
their children from this outrage had been voted
down, because the accused were the voters In
the case and the accusers were obliged to be
dumb. 1t was wicked, she thought, for the
legislators, the intelligent men Of the country,
to permit this.
OTHER SPEECHES.
Mrs. Eastman argued that the women had q
right under the constitution to vote. She held
that ave, the people," meant the people and
the fundamental principle of the government
thatgovernments are by the consent Of the
governed.
Mrs. Nelson said she wanted to know what
were her duties to the government, that she
might perform them, and she wanted to know
what the obligations of the government were to
her. She said she was born in Connecticut,
raised in Minnesota, paid taxes in Iowa and
taught school in the south. She had no hus-
given up his life In defense of his country. She
had given all the country could demand of her
then She was now engaged in educating
the knowledge that made them intelligent
voters why could she not be an Intelligent voter
herself.
Mrs. Bennett, the daughter of Cassius Clay,
OF Kentucky, delivered quite a brilliant ad-
Dress Speaking of the ex-slaves, The Chinese
and Mexican poems. who could vote upon law
To govern civilized women and children, she
said: "Do you invite these strangers TO govern
your wives and daughters and place it out OF
your power TO protect them?"
MRS. COUGARS REMARKS.
Mrs. Cougar made the most striking address
OF the occasion. She asked the committee to
allow the question to go TO the state egisla-
lures. They need not commit themselves to
the principle. She was not tor suffrage, put for
the salvation of society and of the country. The
government was ruled by the cities, and the
ci les were ruled by the slums. She wanted to
put the intelligent woman's vote as an offset for
this ignorance and crime. Woman did not want
suffrage; suffrage needed woman. WOman's
vote would be the reserve force upon which the
Intelligent men of the country would have to
call to preserve them from degradation and
crime. She pointed out the election troubles in
Chicago and in ohio to show that for the want
of more intelligent voters the government was
being run by the criminal classes at these elec-
lions. "You are kind, you are gallant We ask
you to be just