The San Francisco call., 1896-10-25
SUFFRAGE A RIGHT.

lieve that it would purify politics and prove
benefit to the State yet they base their claim
primarily upon the inherent right OF every
citizen in republic to voice in the govern
ment Upon the, recognition of that Claim
democracy itself must stand or fall. The man
who insists that the suffrage hall be the priv
ilege OF single sex may just as logically in
sist that il snail be the privilege of single
class. We have not yet made the experiment
of real democracy or OF a universal suffrage
and until this has been done there is no foun-
dation for declaring either success or
failure.
The franchise is simply the mode of partici-
pa ing IN the common government and repre-
sents the interests of each individual. There
is no way in which he may represent himself
in public affairs except by marking his opin-
tohs on a ballot and having II counted. We
have no such things as proxy or virtual rep
resentation in this Government. If we had IL
could be delegated only by consent OF the per-
sons represented, and women have never
given this consent. On the contrary they have
protested against 1t in constantly increasing
numbers since the Government was instituted,
and the largest petition ever presented to the
United States Congress was that of women
asking to be protected in the right TO repIe-
sent themselves, as guaranteed by the consti-
tuition.
'Ail men are created equal and endowed by
their Creator with certain inalienable right
Among these are life liberty and the pursuis
of happiness. To secure these governments
powers from the consent of the governed"
Thus reads the Declaration oil lndepend-
ence, and there viii De no question that The
Government controls the Life, the property,
the destinies of its people. 1t is founded
upon the eternal principe that every Indi-
yidual is entitled to the greatest liberty that
shall not interfere with the rights OF others
When woman asks for such share in the
Government as shall enable her to represent
and protect her own interests she is asking
only for the liberty promised her by the con-
~ wi N n wi
other human being and this is her inalien-
able right. If you deny TO any woman The
right of selfprotection and self-government
you have deprived her OF personal liberty and
violated the Declaration OF Independence.
The Supreme Court Of the United States has
decided that woman is citizen, so that is no
decide what constitutes citizen. Webster
says: "In the United States person, native
or naturalized, who has the privilege OF exer-
csing the elective franchi se." Worcester
says: "An inhabitant of republic who en-
joys the rights of freeman and has right 10
vote for public officers" Bouyler's Law Die
tionary says: zone who, under the constltu-
tion and laws of the United States. has right
to vote for representatives in Congress and
other public officers"
How are we to reconcile the decision of the
Supreme Court with these definitions? Can
there be any question that suffrage is an at
tribute of citizenship under the Federal con-
stitution? Why does the foreign-born man be-
come natura iZed except that he may have the
right of suffrage? He can have every other
right or privilege which this country affords; |
but, until he takes out his naturalization pa
pers, he cannot become citizen, and yet this
new title gives him no more advantages ex- |
cept the right to vote, showing conciusively |
that citizenship carries with it the right to
suffrage.
cations of citizenship. the fourteenth amend |
ment TO the U ited States constitution says !:
"All persons born or naturalized in the United
States and subject 10 the jurisdiction thereof, !
titiz Statpa a
State whereof they reside" And then this |
"No State shall make or enforce any law which |
shall abridge the privileges or i'm munities OF
citizens of the United States" But in order |
that there may be no possible misunderstand- |
ing, the fifteenth amendment is added |
which says: "The right OF citizens OF the |
United States TO vote shall not be denied or |
abridged by the United States or by any State |
on account OF race, color or previous condition |
of servitude."
Now this amendment does not confer any
thing. 1t unequivocally admits the exist .ng |
right of citze.is 10 vote and declares that they
shall be protected in it, 1t forbids in the |
most solemn language any interference with |
this right, which is recognized as being of the |
highest value. There is nothing in either of |
these amendments, or in the constitution, |
which confers suffrage upon the negro. They |
simply acknowledge the right which inheres in /
him as q citizen, and guarantee that he shall |
be protected in 1t. II suffrage is an inherent /
right In the negro, or in any citizen, it is in
herent in woman.
In his dissertation upon the principles of /
good government Thomas Paine said: "The /
right OF voting for representatives is the pri-
mary right by which other rights are pro-
tected. To take away this right is TO reduce /
man to state of slavery, for slavery consists I
In being subject TO the viii of another, and he
that has not vote in the election of repre-
is so in this case. The proposal,
to disfranchise any class of men is
as criminal as TO propose to take away their
property" Both OF these were done in the
case OF woman. Her property rights have been
partly restored to her, but she still pleads for I
the right of franchise.
Benjamin Franklin said: "They who have
no voice nor vote in the election of representa-
tives do not enjoy liberty, but are absolutely /
enslayed TO those who have votes and TO their
James Madison said: sUnder every view of
the subject it seems indispensable that the /
mass of the citizens should not be without |
voice in making the laws which they are to
obey and In choosing the magistrates who are
to administer them" And sgain .Let il be /
finally, that it has ever been the |
pride and the boast of America that the rights /
for which sne contended were the rights of |
human nature What were those rights? |
The rights of individual represen tation, the |
equal rights OF all the people to voice in the [
Thaddeus Stevens of Pennsylvania said: al /
ebise is one of the inalienable rights meant to |
ence." Charles Sumner said: "There is not a /
rig to vote" Senator Morton said: sWomen /
ha sar -frhr hat