Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1889-07-19
THE SUFFRAGE QUESTION.
Shall IL be Submitted to n Vote of the
PcOpie!-The Elective Franchise,
n Privilege Pertaining TO Citizen
ship. and Protected by the COnsti-
tntiOn,

ship. and Protected by the COnsti.
tuition.
EDITOR STANDARD
| ask the privilege OF offering few
statements in favor of wOman's right
TO the ballot, for publication at thi-
lluncture. The action OF our Conven-
ton. now in session. NAV hasten or re-
tard the long looked for era of woman :
political enfranchisemcnt i'll our Ter
ltories now entering upon Statehood
as well as the whole couQtry at large
The experiment of free government
for mankind is really but just COM
menced. Only yesterday the claim
that "Kings rule by divine right" was
undisputed, and both men and women
were denied all voice in the creation OF
laws for their own protection. In a
state of barharism it may appear more
natural for the strong to rule the weak
but civilization teaches that as society
is composed Of an equal number of
men and women, whose destiny is to
unite and harmoniously blend togeth-
er, it is better that each should have
an equal voice in determining what
measures are for the public good. In
Wyoming Territory, these questions
are now considered settled. They have
tried the experiment for twenty years,
and find IL entirely satisfactory. In
our own Territory, we had begun to
hope the same, but, in an evil hour,
owing to II change of Administration
our worthy Judiciary, who had nobly
sustained the legislature in recognizing
the rights and privileges of women cit
liens, were superseded by another
class of jurists, who regarded not the
mandatory commands of the Constitu-
tion. See Fourteenth Amendment,
section lst: No State shall make or
enforce any law which shall abridge
tho privileges or immunities of citizens
of the United States" and proceeded
by a wave OF their judicial ermine to
relegate our women citizens back to a
state of political slavery. 1t thus ap-
pears that our judiciary, which had
been specially appointed to defend our
liberties, are the first to subvert and
destroy them, and all, notwithstand-
ing the Supreme Court OF the United
States had by a unanimous decision,
at the October term, 1884, in the case
of Pratt ct al, VS. Ramsey ct al de-
clared that woman suffrage in Utah
at that time was legal, thus virtually
affirming its legality in our Territory.
The popular error that ! wish to
IcOntrovert is, that the elective fran
chise is not conferred by law. derived
from statutes and constitutions. But
that il only the case with monarchial
AMI 0cSpouc governments, in which
the sovereign power is invested With
us the supreme power is in the people.
Our free government WAS created by
the bdAot 1t antedates all law
and constitutions. Thirteen years
passed after our independence was de-
clared before the present constitution
was adopted. This proves that the
right to vote is privilege pertaining
to citizenship. 1t can be denied only
during minority, insanity or for crime.
1t stands on the same footing rs the
right to acquire and hold property 1t
is OF, ,ccted that if suffrage is based on
citizenship, minors could vote, they
being citizens. As well say that mi
nOrs can convey real estate, for even
infants are property-holders. Suffrage
and the right of property are matters
to be regulated 10y law, but are not Gre
ated by it.
Women have voted in several of the
States since the enactment of the
Fourteenth Amendment in 1868, by
consent OF the officers of election.
I give a list from Woman Suffrage
History second volume, chapter, 25th,
Marilla NJ. Richards, OF Dover, New
Hampshire, Nanette B. Gardner, of
Detroit, Michigan. Fourteen women
in Rochester, N. ", including Susan
b. Anthony, voted in 1872 They
were prosecuted for it and fined, but
no jury was allowed to give verdict
as they could not be trusted, and Pres
ident Grant RENTED fines and par
doned all concerned.
AS to the Convention leaving the
whole matter to vote OF the people,
it will be time enough to take that
step when American citizens acquire
the right to enslave each other. Ben
jamin Franklin wrote: "They who
have no voice or vote, do not
enjoy liberty, but are enslaved to
those who have votes" Thomas
Payne said The right of voting is
the primary right by which other
rights are protected. To take away
this right is to reduce man to state
of slavery is as criminal as
the proposal to take away property"
Do the opponents of equal suffrage
ever reflect that but for the patriotism
and most efficient aid given by the wo-
men of the Revolution that memor-
able conflict would have been failure?
Let me briefly speak of the work of
Mrs. Arnctt, OF Elizahethtown Our
army had been defeated on Long ISL
land, New York city evacuated, and
the enemy following our retreating
forces through the Jerseys. Amnesty
was offered to all who would submit.
Eight thousand men under CORVALLIS
occupied the town. A number of men
had met in her house to discuss the
advisability OF Yielding up the contest
Late in the evening they consulted,
and hope and courage had fled. Fl
rally they deci led they must submit
Miss Arnett, who hal been listening
opened the door Have you made
your decision, gentlemen? Have you
chosen the part OF men or OF traitors?
They replied, We have no men, no
money, no arms, no food, and England
has everything The narrative is
lengthy, but she shamed them out OF
their decision. They took an oath to
stand by the cause and some OF them
afterward fought nobly and died on the
battlefield For seven long years the
women tended the farms and furnished
clothing for our hali-starved patriots,
by whom our liberties that we enjoy
to-day were purchased. New Jersey,
that suffered more than any other
State from the war, invited the women
to share equal suffrage with men,
which they did for thirty years, until
1907. Massachusetts had already
grantec the same from 1851 down. till
alter the Revol ltion. | am aware that
the ID section OF the Fourteenth
Amendment is claimed by some per-
sons to confer on the States power to
deny the ballot to any class OF citizens
that they may choose to disfranchise,
but that would be the assumption OF
despotic power, the creation OF oil
garchy, a violation OF the Fourth Arti-