The advocate., 1892-02-03
FROM ONE OF THE DrSFRANCHIsED.

The ADVOCATE from olMerehG WrlCerS'
giving advice in reference to the pros
pective platform of the Peoples party, to
be adopted by the convention at st.
Louis in February. ] belong to the dis
franchlsed sex, but am watching with
deep interest the workings of the Peo-
ple's party. We working women Of the
land are looking for the Peoples party to
give us the rights the old parties have so
constantly ignored. The Republican
party has tried to lay the sin of their de-
linquency at our door by charging US
with disinterestedness-that if women
wanted more rights they would ask for
them.
Mr.. ingalls, said that 'if women ivanted
to vote, the right would be granted to
them in twenty four hours by the watch.
To prevent the Peoples party from hav'
ing similar conscientious scruples, it will
be we'll to hear from we women. I am
personally acquainted with several hun
dred women, and know several hundred
others by correspondence, all of whom
are anxIousIy awaiting to be liberated,
and if only the asking ends our duty, l
comply at once, relieving myself of the
great responsibility of keeping silent on
this important subject. If it is the object
Of the Peoples party to bring about re-
form that will give prosperity to all the
people, the rich and poor, the working
classes and the people of leisure, or in
other words, "Equsl rights for all and
special privileges to none," we must
make clean sweep of the difficulties In
the way, and take all the corrupting IN
auences before the broom. The Repub-
llcan party has continually set aside our
petitions and asked us to wait until they
had the power entirely in their hands,
and then they would consider our claim
to political rights. But we are growing
old in the waiting, and il nothing is to be
done for this class OF unrepresented citi
zens until this party gets all the power
1t asks for we will go to our graves dis
franchlsed. We women are looking to
the delegates of the Peoples party con-
vention, on whom rests the great respons-
ibllity Of preparing. platform upon
which all people Of intelligence, Senti-
ment and principle can stand. A plat
form of purity of principles that will de-
clare what shall and what shall not be
done in this fair land of ours.
We women are looking to this conven-
tlon, hoping, wishing and praying, that
as financial reformers they may not be so
bent on securing majoritieS as to sacri-
fee principle to prejudices and af1lla-
tlons which must be outgr0Un in order
for true reform, and dare to demand po-
litlcal and property rights for women.
There Is no class of our people resting
more completely under the depotism of
q combination whose magnitude over
shadows all others, than the woman citi-
zen. This gigantic combine is composed
Of men, the law makers who hold the
powers and privileges Of the women in
their mighty grasp. The almost utter
disregard the men exhibit in reference to
the laws effecting women Is almost un-
pardonable. Or to use the words Of
Julia B. Nelson, at Minnesota conven-
tIon, "The patience with which men bear
the disfranchisement Of women Is mar
velous, and only equalled by the patriot
;avo ~ Artaro,,o Wapd yubo ruoa xu;lIlpo