Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-08
THE WOMEN PLEAD.
A Strong Appeal for Female Suffrage Be-
fore the National Convention-Woe to
tho Nation That Denies Them tho

A Strong Appeal for Female Suffrage Be
fore the National Convention-Woe to
the Nation That Denies Them tho
Right to Vote, Say 1hry.
MINNEAPOLIS, June mo convention is
complete in those enlightened days without
the Woman's Suffrage movement coming to
the front for agitation and the Tenth Re-
publican National Convention is no excep-
ton to the rule The following memorial
has been presented to the convention and q
delegation has asked for hearing before
the Committee on Resolutions:
Respected Members of the Republican Convention;
We come representing the Federal Suf-
frage Association, a society composed of In
fuential men and earnest workers, organ
lied to secure for every citizen of the
United states full, complete and perfect
representation. We ask the great Repub-
ltcan party, with its political machinery, It's
grand numbers and its inspiring history, to
put itself on record as willing to maintain
the dignity of United States citizenship and
to establish the right of equal representa-
tion for all. need not remind you that this
cannot be accomplished while more than
half the citizens are disiranchised, nor vet
while citizens. both native born and natur-
allied, are governed by aliens-men who yet
have nothing at stake In the country, who do
not speak our language, whose names are
neither on our tax rolls or our census lists,
ana whose only claim Is based on q resi-
dence of six months or one year in some
frontier district.
Dangers Of Spurious Suffrage.
"You know better than the deplorable
condition, resulting from our indiscriminate
ana unjust suffrage laws, and no one has
more fifty characterized 1t than your own
great representative, Mr.. Ingalls,, when, in
the Senate of the United States. he described
our Republic rs in immediate and terrible
danger from Ignorant, debased, degraded
| and spurious suffrage; suffrage contami-
mated by the sewage OF decayed nations:
suffrage impure and corrupt, apathetfc and
indifferent in the great cities of tie north
But 1t Is not spurious suffrage alone that
threatens us. 1t is legal suffrage: it is the
diverse, inconsistent absurd and unrepub.
by the different States, that is depriving
citizens of their sovereignty and putting In
peril Republican institutions If the suffrage
| is corrupt. what have we that is securef The
vote is the germ cell out of which, by de-
velopment, combination and extension, all
our legislative bodies and the varied and
complex departments of our Governments
are firmed. When the security Of the ballot,
or the security of the voter in its use Is
threatened our represen tative Government
| Is attacked in its most vital point II the
suffrage IS corrupt. national life is corrupt
and rotten to its core; If 1t is debased, our
freedom Is lost, for 1t is by votes that free
men rule. No other rights can be protected
If the right Of suffrage 1s lost, and upon
the liberation Of the individual citizen and
the permanency of the Governments.
They Scent Peril for the ,tfon.
You may not have considered that. by
declaring the voting line at sex, you give
the balance of the power to the lower class,
while the State is deprived of some of the
best thought and most disinterested patriot
ism of our age. The Inconsistency, the In
justice, the folly and the danger of franchis-
ing the poor house, the Jail and the liquor
saloon while you franchise the Church, the
school and the home is too apparent to need
argument. No government can long survive
that prefers as the voJers, the ignorant and
| the vicious, to the intelligent and the con-
scientiouS
Our representative Government is in peril,
the nation. Will you do it9 Alrendy your
party has in part, committed itself to
suffrage reform, for ut your last National Con-
affirmed "The supreme and sovereign right
| OF every lawful citizen to cast one free ballot
| in public election and to have that ballot
duly counted" VIII you not nowP Now SO de-
fine the word citizen that the whole world
shall understand that you advocate the
right of all lawful citiz ms OF the United
States, regardless of sex or nationality, to
protect themselves, their homes and their
country by ballot. When suffrage is made
| one of the inalienable rights Of the citizen,
citizenship will be crowned with honor, for
IL Will ne:ln bne right TO Lille, liberty ana
the pursuit of happiness" and the power to
protect these at the ballot box. Grander
than the boast OF the Roman citizen, Il was
free born." will be the proud endowment of
the person who can say: II am citizen of
the United States, and as such 1 rise above
oil superficial and accidental distinctions OF
birth, condition, nationality or sex. I am q
child of God, endowed with all the liberty
Oh the human betng.'
Fem ,le Suffrage Has Big Backing.
ho
nounce itself as the standard bearer of equal
and. taking as your own the motto OF Wal
lace, Goods arms, PATRIOTS" make way for
the establishment of a true republic. By TAX
ing your stand for justice to all you plant
yourselves upon principles that are ever
lastingly true and abiding. You will take
your position as the advance guard of prog
ress and reform, and you will prepare for
victory at the polls in November, 1892. In
proof OF this can bring you the certified In
dorsement Of womans suffrage by 100 posts
OF the G. A. R., the Trade and Labor Assem-
bly, of Chicago the unions of Federation of
Labor throughout Illinois, the lodges of tile
f. NJ. B. A., the Farmers Alliance and the
Industrial Union, the Knights Of Labor-in
all representing over million voters to
whom you cannot afford to be Indifferent,
also several millions of women gathered in
the various woman's suffrage, temperance
and other reformatory organizations, who,
though they have no votes, have influence.
enthusiasm and eloquence, and all these are
needed in a political campaign.
The party that has the women Is the
party that will succeed. Consider also that
the smaller part1es-ProhibitiOn, Peoples.
Labor. etc.-include q large number of
voters who are there because OF their in
dorsement of these principles Of human
equality. And the party that has for its
rallying cry, Equal rights for every man
and woman citizen on the continent" Is the
party that will rouse the people and gain
the victory. God grant that it may be the
Republican party. The action without rep
resentation Is tyranny to-day the same rs In
the early history of our country. The sue
cessful party OF the future is the one of just
and humanitarian principles, because God
and the angels are contendfng for the right.
The Golden Rule has q wonderful meaning,
and we ask for its recognition.
We do not appeal to your compassion: we
do not ask for favors. we simply appeal for
justice. and that for the sake of your own
success and the safety of the nation.
The above is signed by ex-senator NJ. B.
CASTLE Sandwich. Ills, President: Rev.
Olympia Brown, Vice President: J. b. Devo.
Treasurer: Mrs. s. NJ. c. Perkins, Chairman
Executive Committee, officers of the Fed