The herald., 1896-03-15
mrs. Benson and State Rights

hrs. Benson and state kfRhts
EDITOR HERALD: While Mrs. Ben
sons rejonder is bristling with good,
sound legal points, and evinces a
thorough crammipg of sections of law
from 1.-THE law library" to sustain her posi-
tion on the naturalization question, still
she tolls as a widow with embryo citizens,
both male and female. under her educa-
tional control, to fairly meet and answer
my assertion and claim that under
the Democratic law of 1850. section
1894, and the Republican law of 1866,
section 2OO4, any woman married
to citizen of the United States is
a citizen in her own right. and as such ci'i-
zen is entitled to the suffrage, for this ques-
ton of the married woman's right to vote
at national election. as national citizen,
for president, vice president ana member
of congress has never yet been brought be-
fore the people. much less tested III any
court of the United States.
This question of the franchise belonging
to the married women. as now present 1t in
California, and have advocated it for some
years in Minnesota, hinges not alone on
the naturalization laws for aliens. nor is it
confined eXclusively-as my esteemed cor
respondent seems to think. and assumes
that it does to the foreign born female ell
tinent to the subject, but upon the national
constitution itself: and the decision OF
federal Judge Hunt in the case of Susan
b. Anthony vs. Stale of New York. which
held Miss Anthony citizen of the United
States, but not a citizen qualified to hold
an elective or appointive office under the
national constitution, which document de-
fines the sex of the legisiatively qualified
citizen: and the decision of Aitorney-Gen-
eral Vonnetta of New Jersey in the case
of Eurickie G. Jones VS.. Hudson County
Jail. which held that as the state laws create
official, political. elective and appnintive
positions. were formed and passed in the
masculine pronoun. only male citizens
we're qualified to hold and perform the
duties of these positions.
Judge Hunts was a national, while AT
torney-General Nonnetta's was state de-
cision. One defined the citizen Office hold
ing qualification status under the national
constitution and general laws OF 1906 sec
ton 1892. The other defined the female
citizens place in the body polite under the
statute laws of the state.
In the constitution of the United States
we find in Art. l, Section 2: 1.-The house
of representatives shall be chosen every
second year by the people of the several
Now, it doesnot say male or female peo-
pie, but 'by the people, There are female
as we'll as male people in the United States
The sex of the voter is not stated nor de-
fined, but the sex of the representative is
We find in Art. g, Sec. =: This cOnstl-
tuition and the laws of the United States,
whicn shall be made in pursuance thereof,
and all treaties made or which shall ha
made under the authorities of the United
States, snail be the supreme law of the
land: aid the judges in every state shall
be bound thereby, anything in tho constr
tuition or laws OF any state to the contrary
notwithstanding.
While the first amendment to the cen
stitution includes all the people of the
United States, with the untrammeled citi-
zen right to perfect freedom of conscience
and personal privilege of independence.
in congress shall make no law respecting
an establishment of religion. etc." be it
of male voting Dictatorship. by continipg
the suffrage to the male half of the people,
setting up the male golden calf for the
people to fall down and worship. By going
IA dozen steps further up the political hill