The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-03-26
The Arguments Before the
IS Committee on Territories.
WOMEN OF UTAH CONSIDERED,
Strong Objections to the Disfranchise-
ment of the Holders OF the Bal
lot in the Territories.
From our own Correspondent.

Inc American woman suffragists
made arguments before the House com
mittee on Territories. yesterday morn
ing, in favor of comforting the elective
franchise upon the womel of the Ter
ritories, and incidentally the new Ed
munds bill, one clause of which, as is
well known, proposes to deprive the fe-
male portion Of the Territory of Utah
of the right of suffrage, was frequently
referred to- Having heard that such
arguments were to be made l repaired
to the committee room at 10 O'Clock. At
this hour the room was filed, the repre-
sentative woman suffragists of the Dis
trict of Columbia being out in full force.
Considerable interest was also mani
tested by the male portion of humanity,
the doorway being crowded with men
during the whole time of the hearing
The first speaker was the Rev. Annie
H. Shaw, of Big Rapids, Michigan
She delved into her subject with
out much apology, and soon made
some telling points IL favor of
the principles of woman suffrage.
Referring to the new Edmunds bill she
said: Mr.. Edmunds has proposed bill
for the Acknowledgement Of the Mormon
women. He claims, and others claim,
| that the purpose for which it is in ro-
| duced is TO overthrow the action of
parties in Utah who are living con-
trary to the laws of the United States.
But why is it necessary for gentlemen
of this House to disfranchise women
7I,<, hnrr I'D 81
crime, women who have never commit
ted any crine, women who have never
violated the laws of order and decency,
nobody can understand why it is ne
ces AIRY to disiranchise the Gentle
women of Utah, and the Mormon
women who have never lived in polyg
amy nobody can understand. Yet this
! bill proposes not only to punish those
who are criminals and have been Con-
| victed of crime, but also TO punish those
who are not criminals and have commit
| TED no crime at all Further, the bill not
only proposes that thes women shall
be DISTINGUISHED for the present,
but that they shall never
have the right to vote in the
Territory. They are not to be cut off
for a year, nor few succeeding years,
but as long as the Territory remains a
Territory, no matter how deserving the
people may be. Such a measure is I'M
Just, cruel and unconstitutional" The
general argument of the reverend lady
in favor of the reimbursement of women,
not only in the Territories. but in ali
the States OF the Union, was very able,
logical and conclusive. She took up
many of the points that had been raised
| in objection to the suffrage being ex-
tended TO women, and met them with
unanswerable argument. Upon one
point she was very happy. The objec-
ton had been raised, she said, that if
| the suffrage was given TO women they
would be dragged into something that
was degrading; that the pool of politics
was so dirty that it was not fit thing
for women to dabble in. She was free
TO assert, however, that the members of
the honorable committee on the Terri
tor es did not believe that they had OBJ
tanned their positions through dirty,
low, vileinstitution. They did not believe
that politics was essentially of that
nature. If politics had become dirty,
low and vile in any sense, they did not
believe that the science of political
economy was anything OF the kind. If
it were true that men had taken a
science which was pure, and made it
impure and low, then the men would
have to ask the women to clean the
thing for them. The women would
make it place fit FIR gentlemen to live
in. In conclusion. Miss Shaw made a
strong appeal for the ri ght of woman
suffrage in the territories and gave num-
erous examples 10 show how excellentiy
the women had exercised the franchise
in the Territories of Wyoming, Wash
ington and Utah.
Miss Shaw was followed by Mr.. Henry
B. Blackwell, the husband of Mrs. Lucy
Stone Blackwell. Mr.. Blackwell is a
very fluent speaker. Identified as be is
and has been for many years-in con
junction with wife -with the woman
suffrage question. he is naturally very
familiar with all the points TO be said il,
favor of it. Upon this occasion he ap-
peared to great advantage. His con-
illusions were logical, well drawn. and
delivered with telling effect He COM
menced by stating that in asking for
woman suffrage he had the Constitu-
ton on his side, and then went on TO
deal with the justice and equity of the
whole question. Referring to the man
ner in which the suffrage had been ex-
ercised by the women in Wyoming, he
said that from the first day the women
nau VOteQ III InaV Territory. tDelr VOIe
had been cast for the good of the Terri
tory. They had also served on juries anG
held office, and had acquitted themselve:
equally with the men. The present
: Governor of Wyoming Warren
had recently admitted this in letter
addressed to the Legislature. From hi:
experience and observation, the Gov
. ernor said, he was compelled to admit
in justice to the women of Wyoming
that woman suffrage had not lowered
the standard of the offices or the Off
ciaIs. On the contrary. the women HAD
proved a power in their midst and to
day, in consequence of this power, boil
political parties, on The eve of an cleo
ton, were compelled to select tn
] very best men that could be found. TIL,
. extension of the franchise to the womei
j of Wyoming had therefore been pro
q ductive of much good. In referring t.
Utah, Mr.. Blackwell said that he eoul'
bring ample testimony TO show that tn
introduction of women IS political right
j in that Territory had been productiv
}, of higher regard of womanhood; tn
: suppression of houses of ill-fame;
;. higher standard of social morality. |
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