The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-11-14
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o! Georgia claims BY implication that.
as United States citizen. tho colored
man under the Federal Constitution
has the right to vote for all Federal OFF
ficcrs. wholly independent Of State
authority. That principle must b
equally true In the case Of women. Tho
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. Tho Law Of Federal Suf-
frage." opens . new and broad field for
the discussion OF women claims as a
United States citizen. When Susan B.
Anthony voted for q member Of Con-
Rress she had a legal right to do so. Is
. United States citizen. under the Fed
eral Constitution. Yet shc was arrest.
ed and tried-thcugh Ii 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 tho
State. and may rote 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
tion OF our statesmen ever since the
passag" Of the Fourteenth Amendment
to the Constitution. Those who think
our progress Ia 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
III the history Of the race there has
been no other struggle for liberty like
this. Whenever tho interest Of the
ruling classes has induced them TO con.
fer now rights ON subject class, IL 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. II was given
In both cases 70 strengthen the liberal
party. The philanthropy Of tho few
may have entered into those reforms,
but political expediency carried both
measures Women. on tho contrary.
have fought their own battles; and in
their rebellion against existing condi-
iions. have inauguratcd the most fun
damental revolution tho world has eve-
Witnessed. Tho magnitude aud multi
plicity OF the dangers involved make
the obstacles in the way OF success seem
almost insnrmountable.
The narrow seli-intercs: OF the ruling
classes IL opposed to the sovereignty Of
woman. The rulers in the State are
not willing to share their power with
class. equal il not superior to them.
selves. over which they could never
hope for absolute control. and whose
methods Of government might In many
respects difIer from their own. Tho
anointed leaders In the church are
equally hostile to freedom for q sex
supposed for wise purposes to have
ben subordinated by divine decree.
The capitalist in tho world OF work
holds the key to the trades and profess
sions. and nndermines tho power Of
labor unions in their struggles for
shorter hours and fa!rer wages, by sub
sttuiing the cheap labor Of a disfran-
chised class. that can not organize It's
forces. thus making wife and sister ri.
walls Of husband and brother in the in-
dustries, 10 tho detrimont OF both
classes. OF the autocrat in the home.
John Stuart Mill has we'll said: No
ordinary man Is willing to find at his
own Hreside an equal in the person he
calls wife," Thus society is based on
this fourfold bondage Of woman. maxi
ing liberty and equa ity for her antag-
onistic 70 every organized institution.
Where. then. can we rest the lever
with which TO lift one-hnlf Of humanity
from those depths OF degradation
but on THAT colum bad OF our political
life-thc bailot-which makes every
citizen who holds It q .rll-armcd .Moni-
tori"