Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1896-03-08
Equal Partners.

Abraham Lincoln said: This
country with its institution belongs
to the people who inhabit it,"
Since women are onc half Of the
people and amenable to all the laws
established by I'VE, tho People Of the
United States" why should they lie
deprived Of any Of the rights and priv
ilcgcs Of those Institutions which
cmanatc from the people? The grand
central idea Of the Declaration Of In.
Deepen lcncc was the sovereignty Of
-thc people" Men and wome:: pco-
pie were alike children OF the Union.
and IA such have the self same, com.
mon interest III all that pertains Ia
our social, civil and industrial prog.
rcss as people Of the United States Of
America.
The declaration WIS not made 10y
the United States sevcrally, but 10y
the States jointly, 80 freedom and
equality was declared for the people,
the citizen" jointly, not scvcrnlly men
people nor women people. This was
no accident. but the result Of the iii
vine ideal of self government. Women
laborcd rs p%utriOtically i'll their
sphere for the establishment OF FEEDER.
nj constitutions ms did men. Is there
no tribute, no recognition to be award.
ed tn thcm for the eight years they
sustained themselves and helpless
mes at home, and also helped To fur
nish the supplies for the brave old
c~ontinentals mt the battle front dur.
ing the revolutionary struggle?
Since they were equal partners i'll the
revolt, should they not he equal phrt.
ncrs in tho victory?
The right to protect person and
property by law was the guarantee
sealed 10y the blood Of the Revolution
ary heroes, and this right then, M
now, ia ns dear To every woman citi
zen MS To every man citizen, time has
wrought no change in this fundamcn
tai principle. The right for woman
to say, through the ballot, what tho
law shall be. is II far safer means OF
protection than any revokablc priv.
lcgcs tla. Tho law Il grant. Won.
OF maj in tho economic and industrial
progress OF the race and the Nation.
therefore n union at political rcspon-
sibility il the necessary means for the
completion Of this end.
II il an every day quotation that
there are more voting now than IN good
for tho country. This, in II sense, il
lamCntably true, because the untlink.
ing citizen, under the magnetism Of
iino.spun, guided persuasion Of pc.
litical manipulntors, il too often tic.
ludcd into tho belief that he il voting
for the best interests Of the people,
when, in reality, he has cast his vote
solely for the best interests Of certain
rings within tho lcgislating class.
Who IL the greatest sinner against
AmcricanismY Certainly not the
poor, untutorcd citizen. but tho high.
ly cultured citizen who IL willing to
mako the country and it's institutions
subscrve the bchcsts Of his party. in
stcad Of serving tho bchcsts Of tho
people who inhabit it, irrespective OF
BOX or condition.
Tho intellectual citizens very often
within the last three decades rcsortcd
to tho tactics Of "Philip Of MarccdOn,
who with his gold rofutcd the wisdom
Of Athens, confoundod her statesmen,
struck dumb her orators. and finally
argued them out Of their liberties"
Women do not seek cnfrauchiscmcnt
for u partnership N any Of the spccu.
lativc phases Of American politics,
but Ia rccsinblish the partnership of
"cqual rights TO all, special privileges
to none" ia dictated by Washington
aud Jefferson aud their co. patriots.
Mus. j. II. WILLIAMSON.
PrcR. State Suffrage Association,
Austin, Nevada.