The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1889-11-13

But these women. with thcir protest,
in hand. are rs helpless against he n
coming tide as was Dame Pirt.ngton-
with her broom. against the waves o.
the sea. The spirit OF the age is against
them.
Bills are pending now In the House
OF Commons. Congress, and every State
Legislature demanding the political
rights of women. In the adjustments
of the status of the colored voter of the
Southern States every Supreme Court
decision effects equally the status d
woman. To protect him against the
tyranny Of the State, his rights as .
United States citizen are insisted on
A recent decision in the Supreme Court
Of Georgia claims by implication that.
as United States citizen. the colored
man under, the Federal Constitution
has the right to vote for all Federal of
ficers wholly independent OF State
authority. That principle must be
equally true in the case OF women. The
word male in the State Constitutions
can only restrict them in voting for
State officers, while as United States
citizens they are at liberty to vote for
all United States officials This recent
Supreme Court decision. stated in full
by Francis Minor, Esq, in pamphlet
entitled, The Law OF Federal SUI
frage." opens new and broad field for
the discussion OF women claims as
United States citizen. Whom Susan b.
Anthony voted for member OF Con-
gress she had legal right to do so, -
q United States citizen, under the Fed
eral Constitution. Yet she was arrest.
ed and tried Though in the United
States District Court-as citizen OF
New York. and under the State Consti-
tuition declared guilty of illegal voting
and fined accordingly
In deciding that the United States
citizen has rights independent OF the
State, and may vote for members OF
Congress under the Federal Constitu-
ton, the courts have at last conceded
the principle which women themselves
have been pressing on the considers
ton OF our Statesmen ever since the
passage of the Fourteenth Amendment
to the Constitution. Those who think
our progress in this movement has
been too slow to Indicate any deep or
widespread interest among women
themselves in its success, do not appre-
ciate the nature OF the conflict
4 In the history of the race there has
been no other struggle for liberty like
this Whenever the interest OF the
ruling classes has induced them to con-
fer new rights on u subject class, 1t has
been done with no effort on the part OF
the latter Neither the American
slave nor the English laborer demand
ed the right OF suffrage. 1t was given
in both cases TO strengthen the liberal
party. The philanthropy of the few
may have entered into those reforms,
but political expediency carried both
measures Women, on the contrary,
have fought their own battles; and In
their rebellion against existing cohdi-
tions, have inaugurated the most1san-
damental revolution the world has ever
Witnessed The magnitude and multi
plicity Of the dangers involved make
the obstacles in the way of success seem
almost insurmountable.
The narrow self-intcrest OF the ruling
classes is opposed to the sovereignty o.
woman The rulers in the State are
not willing to share their power with .
: class, equal if not superior to them
: selves, over which they could never
hope for absolute control, and whose
methods of government might in man,
respects differ from their own. Tn,
anointed leaders in the church art
equally hostile to freedom for q De,
supposed for wise purposes to hav'
} been subordinated by divine decree
. The capitalist in the world of worl
holds the key to the trades and profes
: sions, and undermines the power o
labor unions in their struggles 70
shorter hours and fairer wages, by sub
J shutting the cheap labor OF disirau
) chised class. that can not organize 1t
: forces, thus making wife and sister RI
: walls of husband and brother in the In
: dustries, to the detriment OF bot
classes. OF the autocrat in the home
Q John Stuart Mill has well said: IN
. ordinary man is willing to find at hi
, own freside an equal in the person b
calls wife," Thus society is based o
n n iwfa>.,fsld hoadoan6-