DeSoto times. (Hernando, Miss.) 1879-1898, 1890-02-20
IN WOMAN'S BEHALF.
LEGAL INEQUALITY.

boundary between youth and manhood
He is no longer under the lawful contro
of his parents lie is his own man anC
can act for himself with perfect lega
responsibility. He is part of the SOY
ereign State, and so important is thi
sovereignty that his single vote may, OF
rare occasions, turn the scale in determ
ing nations policy. All the twenty
years of his minority have been spent
in fitting him for this momentous re-
sponsibility. Hencoforth he stands OF
falls for himself. Now there is no legal
hindrance to his establishing a home
and rearing family, and sending down
| his name to pOStcrlty.
But there are a good many people,
writes Hannah NJ. Tracy Cutler, in
Woman's journal, who have realized
that daughters have not had an equal
heritage with sons. Their rights have
| been limited. their education curtailcd.
The colleges, with rare exceptions,
have shut their doors in the faces of
woman; their employments have been
circumscribcd; their wages unequal to
those of men even for the same work
equally well performed. They have
| had no voice in making laws and no
power in their execution. They have
seen the revenues Of the State increased
by licensing crimes Of various grades,
which nourishcd under the protection of
legislation. They have been mothers
Il ,DI ,f in, I,i, ,r
their children by the sovereign power
Of the law, which counted them as be-
longing solely to the father, so that he
could, not only while living, but even
after dcathD direct the destiny of the
child born in lawful Wedlock, while the
mother was not even consulted in regard
to its wcll-heing. The property of wom-
en- has been taxed without representa-
ton, and they have had no voice in de-
tcrmining the appropriation of vast
sums drawn by the government from
their resources.
Such inequality has led thinking peO-
pie to inquiry, and this has led to the
conclusion that a disfranchiscd class is
always at the mercy of the cnfranchised.
The civil war. which dcsOlated our
1e.,I, r"1l5 ill...'.-,tr@l IL" ,-~1 1"o of
suffrage. 50 that, at its close, it was
deemed unsafe to leave the freedmen
without the ballot in their hands. They
might not know how to use it, they
might be dpfraudcd Of its benefits many
times. but the fact of its possession, it
was deemed would ultimately protect
them in their right to life, liberty and
the pursuit of happiness" When the
wise men were contemplating this now
order of things, providing against any
future enslavcmcnt Of race, they were
approached by good men and women
who asked that in the amendment to the
Constitution which declared that the
right of franchise should not be denied
on account Of race, color Or previous con-
ditiOn of SurvitudC. the word sex should
also be included, thus putting an end to
all LEGAL inequality among the citizens
of our government. But men said it
was not cXpcdicnt to do this. The
States would not ratify the amendment
if that one word were added. SO we
women were still left disfranchiscd.
1t is now twcntv-0nc years since We
called a convention at Cleveland, after
six months spcntin corresp spondence with
pronounced advocates of woman Suf-
frage to organize for work. Leaving
out all collateral questions, we would
demand of the nation its recognized
guaranty of equal rights; that and that
only to be the object of organization
was at that time IN Cleveland, and
some members of the New England W.
S. \. wrote me that they considered
Cleveland a good point for the convcn-
ton, and empowered me to secure Cases
Hall. and To make such other arrange
montS, through the press and through
private influence, as might secure the
of tho convention. Tho hall
was secured. and the newspapers were
very courteous and promised to give fair
reports Then ! called a meeting of
those disposed to aid in entertaining
the expected delegates. To my chagrin,
only five ladies responded. 1t was the
the scene three or four reporters who,
unless they were generously disposed,
might bring the whole matter into ridi-
culC. | went to them and made salts
factory explanations, saying | hoped
they would be present at the convention
and give us fair reports. Next morning,
these representatives from the different
papers had given a generous report, and
had bespokcn the attention of the citi-
zens to a convention that would be of
great importance, commanding some of
the finest talent of the nation.
But the weather was by no means pro-
pitious. 1t grumbled and rained. The
day before the convention regular
blizzard set in. 1t showed, and the wind
blew and threatened to blockade the
roads, both east and west. But milder
climatic counsels prevailed, the snow
fall was light, the wind abated, the
trains we're on time. and the delegates
also were on time: so that when | called
at the parlors of the American House
which were to be headquarters, found
the rooms full of bright, hopeful faces,
and realized that our convention was
not to be failure.
Then committee meeting was held
We had such able organizers as Lucy
Stone, Henry b. Blackwell, Mrs. Liver
more, Mrs. Howe, Mrs, Rebecca n. Haz-