Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1888-01-20

presenting, upon the floor OF this
House, the oldest county in the Terri
tory of Washington, county inhab-
tied by an intelligent, industrious, law
abiding Christian people; a people
who are ever prompt in relieving dis
tress and in the discharge of every
charitable duty; a people with whom
| have lived more than thirty-seven
years; people before whom l ap-
peared for their suffrages nearly thirty
seven years ago and have appeared at
different times from that day until
this, and always, with one exception,
have they honored me with their con-
fidence, and sir, l would as soon lose
my right hand as to betray that con-
fidence in this or any other matter;
and that am correctly representing
their wishes | will say that am crcdi-
bly, informed that the chief lady suf-
fragist in Vancouver rode in the DEM
ociatic wagon us it went to and from
the polls all day the day of the cleo
ton to work against me upon this
very issue. The result was IA majority,
in Vancouver, for me of one hundred
and thirty, and l have here two petit
titions circulated in my own neighbor-
hood. and am acquainted with every
person whose hamc appears there, so
| know that they are genuine, and in
.he section where these petitions were
circulated the name of every woman
appears, with two or three exceptions,
and / think large majority of the
women of Clark county are opposed to
a suffrage bill.
And now, sir, permit me to say that
the Englshman would meet death in
any form to protect and defend the
honor of old England, as exemplified
in the person of his sovereign; the
Frenchman would face death thou
sand times for that tinseled trinket,
the Cross of the Legion OF Honor,
mere bauble, that the people OF any
other country would throw aside as Il
thing of no value. The American
used to think that the ballot was
thing of priceless value. Is it consid-
cred SO now or has it not been hawked
around until it has lost its intrinsic
value? These thoughts bring sadness
to my heart, and to-day, methinks,
l hear the voice of Patrick Henry rs
it comes revcrberating down through
the ages when he uttered those noble
sentiments known to every school boy
throughout our land: Is life so dear
or is peace so sweet" Methinks see
the occasion that called forth these
burning words of patriotic fervor from
his noble soul Methinks l see the
infant Goddess of Liberty as she strug-
giles to cast off her swaddling clothes.
Methinks hear to-day the roar of ar
tillery and the rattle of small arms,
the shrek, the groans, the curses of
the wounded and the dying, on York
towns bloody field. Methinks to-day
l hear the glad shout of three millions
of freemen as they caught up that in
FAINT goddess and placed her upon her
own pedestal in the far-famed temple
OF liberty where she has sat enthroned,
enshrined in the heart Of every true
patriot the world over from that day
to this, and well do recollect that in
my younger days the patriots and
statesmen, including those three in
tellectual giants, Benton, Clay and
Webster, when they approached the
sacred precincts of her presence they
did SO with barred and bowed head and
with every token of respect and rever-
ence that a devotee would approach
the shrine of his patron saint. Woe
to me that should have lived to see
small politicians here, in the capital of
Washington Territory, a Territory that
was counted worthy to be named in
honor OF the noblest Roman of them
all, ready to rush In where our
fathers dare not tread, and with vandal
hand to tear from her diadem the
brightest jewel there and fakir-ike to
hawk it upon the streets without
money and without price, as thing
Of no value, thing of no worth. I
hope some good angel will protect and
defend us; that this days work may
not bring us across the Rubicon, but
that the sober second-thought of the
people will make all things work to-
gether for the good OF our beloved Ter
ritory.