The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-11-14
IN WOMAN'S BEHALF.
SHE COMETH

She walketh veilcd and sleeping.
For she knowsi b not her power;
She obeycth but the pleading
OF her heart. and the high leading
OF her soul unto this hour
Slow advancing iimping- creeping.
Comes the W. mi 10 the Hour
She wn.keih vailed ard sleeping
For she knowcth not be. power
Charlotte Perkins Stetson, In woman's
WOMAN'S POLITICAL STATUS
Tho Past and Present Conditions %
Women In This Country asd Abroad
The lssliot the fuieraa % Political
Power.
'.Is tho suffrage movement making
any progress?" Is question frequently
rskcd by those who take no note Of
what Il being said and done about Il
To judge Of the progress Of . movement
ono mus. understand something Of It's
origin and purpose. Those who have
given no thought to woman's political
status In the past or the present would
be surprised at the statement tnat In
all civilized nations, at some periods.
women have possessed and exercised
political power in greater OF less de-
greea
From time immeu.oria.. says Eliza
beth Cady Stanton. in Frank Leslie's
Illustrated Newspaper. the women Of
England have held many important
Offices and voted on many questions;
and in line with English precedent.
women had the right 10 vote in this
country in the early days, under the
constitutions Of the thirteen original
colonies. Many years parsed before
the several States SO amended their
constitutions as to make sex disHuali-
fication for the suffrage. New Jersey
was the last State to rob woman Of this
right, and she did not do 1t by the slow
legal process Of constitutional amend-
ment. but by n hasty, arbitrary act OF
the Legislature. In that State women
voted ut all elections. from 1916 10 1907.
upon terms Of equality with men. They
helped to elect tie delegates from that
State 10 the Constitutional Convention.
They voted to ratify the instrument
when submitted. They voted ut the
first fivo Presidential. elections-twice
fnr Washington. .wicc for jefferson.
and once FOR John Adams. Their do
scendents are only claiming tho exercise
Of q right as cd as the Constitution
itself.
] am indebted 10 Judge Charles Y.
Waite. OF Chicago, Francis Minor. Esq.
of ST. I1onis. and Hamilton Wilcox. of
New York city, for several valuable
pamphlets On this question. contain
!, ins mitch curious Information and M
ear,hing many reliable facts hitherto
unknown even TO those most deeply in.
tercsted in this subject. Through
various causes mary Of these ancient
rights had been withheld and others
Ind fallen into disuso until tho agita-
tion OF the slavery question. in England
and America. and the French revolu-
tion aroused widespread discussion
on individual rights. and gave new
significance 10 the terms of liberty,
justice, equality. The intensely earnest
debates in legislative and popular as-
semblics. and the terrible engincry OF
war. thrilled the hearts Of tho women
OF those countries, and awakened IN
them new desire To share in the biess.
ings Of those broad principles of frec-
dom proclaimed for tho masses.
This demand was answered in France
BY the Napoleon codo for women; in
tho United States by bills in New York
and Pennsylvania securing to married
women their property rights in 1913:
and in England by bills introduced into
the House OF Commons by John Stew
art Mill in 1867. demanding suffrage
for women. which passed in 1869. grant
ing municipal suffrage TO widows and
sp;ns,ers. Tho Woman Question IN
Europe" by Theodore Stanton. shows
the political status o; women in the
various countries or the Eastern Con:;-
ncnt. all alike recognizing the princi-
pie that sex il not barrier to the sui-
!ragc.
In tho United States women now vote
on some questions in twenty-five States.
They have full suffrage in Wyoming.
Washington ana did have in Utah.
| Municipal suffrage was conferred on
the women OF kansas two years ago.
Taking the two continents and the isles
Of tho sea together. where women now
vote, find tho arcn Of freedom covers
about 10 600. 600 uf square miles. and
includes about 200. COO. 900 OF inhab-
/ itnn,s. In this vas. area some form OF
sutf age is now exc. cised by women.
| Every year. both IN England and the
| United States. find some siepe in prog
rcss. some new rights conceded The
drift of legislation and public sen.i-
/ ment is all in the direction OF woman's =
complete eBfranchisement Yet in the
facc Of all this We havc some women.
both il England and America. petition
ing their lawmakers TO halt where We
arc, and concede no more rights. privil-
egcs or immunities TO the women Of
/ their respective countries. Singularly
enough these English petitioners are
tho very women who. rs members of
tho Primrose League. carried the last
Tory election. among whom was Lady
Randolph Churchill. They canvasscd
their several districts thoroughly. ac-
| centuating their arguments with all the
personal charms that artistic dress and
! winning manners could give in the way
| OF beWi,aering unMary voters. Their
| petition. which snMe OF our metropolitan
| papers have thought worth publishing,
/ is tissue Of contradictions. old, worn.
ont assertions that have been fully aE-
/ swcred many ,imcs during the last half
century. The petitioners on this side
are equally active in advocating cer-
tain reforms. but they draw the line ut
suffrage. 10 that point they say We
can "se our influence TO promote all
worthy reforms. but to cross that line
| IL TO unscx ourselves in twinkling.