The Portland daily press., 1898-07-20
EQUAL SUFFRAGE,
The Portland Club Celebrates a semi-Cen-
tennial

LIS oitItuO lQudl OuIreRe Olup OSio-
GRATED the semi-centennial of the first
Equal Suffrage convention in the United
States, Monday p. IN. by holding meet
Ing with Miss TitcoInb in Stroudwater.
The meeting, which was u large and en-
thusiastic one, by common consent was
held on the lawn. After the regular or
der of business, Miss Gail Laughlin first
addressed the CLUB. She said in sub
stance: Law is not morality, it is crys-
talized public opinion. Consequently
it is never IN advance of public opinion,
but always behind it. Furthermore law
presidents. In a recent case the court
based its decision on precedent OF 200
years ago. The laws followed in fixing
the legal status of women are more than
200 years old. The old Common Law of
England did not recognize women as in
dividuals. A married woman was m erely
a part OF her husband She, could not sell
alone. her contracts were null and void,
her property belonged to her husband,
the mother had no legal control over her
children. Many of the disabilities have
been swept away-many still remain in
the law of today. In Louisiana, unless
changed by the recently adopted consuitu-
tion, married woman does not own the
clothes she wears. In many States wife
has no claim on her wages, and in only
ten States has the mother equal control
with the father over the children. In
NQxu Vn1.ly thp 1oyrc ara foir to
women as in any State, d husband is alb
solutely entitled to any service performed
for him by his wife, and the wife has no
legal right to any payment for them.
Probably similar decision would be CIV
en- a like case in any other State where
This is the reason why a husband cannot
legally deprive wife of dover in this
real estate. Tha right to dover and SO
called support Is given to wife be
cause she is not entitled to any nay for
her services. There are many other rem
nants of the old common law. Every
change in our statutes giving larger lib
erty to women is but step toward recog-
nizing her individuality, her right to
own herself. The right of suffrage Is a
step in the same direction. The Declara-
ton of Independence says that govern
ments derive their just powers only from
the consent of the governed. That means
the consent of women as well as of men.
Those who must obey the laws should
have share in making them. The right
of suffrage is a developing influence. 1t
was given to the freed slaves because of
its developing and eIevating influence.
There was no ella i'm that they could be
represented by other men. If men cannot
represent other men, how can they repre-
sent women. The American Revolution
was fought because men could not repre-
sent other men. The Transvaal raid was
to secure suffrage for men not citizens.
There can be no division of labor in law
making. The laws touch women as close
ly as they touch men. If politics are dir
ty, women suffer from it, and there
would be less danger in trying to clean
them, than in suffering from the evil
laws that come from dirty politics.
Suffrage is N cans not an end-it means
opportunity. Justice demands suffrage
for women. 1t is expedient, but expedi.
ency need not be now discussed-the
claim for suffrage should rest on the
broad basis of justice, because justice is
always expedient.
Miss Maud Thompson of New York,
followed Miss Laughlin and spoke of the
OBSTACLES, real and apparent. She
snid: There are three common objec-
tions to equal suffrage. The first,
"Woman's place is at home" is not borne
out by facts, for woman's place today is
wherever her ia ste and ability fit her for.
Voting is an avocation, not vocation
and even if woman's sole business were
housekeeping, would not interfere with
her work. The second objection, that
women have not the ability for engaging
in politics, has been already disproved
women who have been successful in b.
theoretical and practical politics. 1ns
foolish claim that women by voting win
lose their charm overlooks the fact that
real charm lies in character and intelli-
gence, and has bean dlsproved by the
women of Wyoming and Colorado. These
objections ara only scarecrows to frighten
the public, aud the rsaI obstacle is the
abstract nature of our cause and the con-
fusion of wonan's suffrage with other
causes. Our cause is not an emotional
cause. 1t is a just cause 1t cannot ap-
peal to people sympathies, it appeals TIC
their reason. 1t is for self development,
but also for the good of others. 1t will
give the women of the next generation an
inheritance of political liberty. We must
not abuse our claims to suffrage on
promises to solve the Temperance ques-
ton or purify politics, however we may
hope that the ballot in the hands of WON
en- may accomplish these ends 1t is based
On the broad, ceep principle of the right
of every human being to self government.
If we can make the United States the
first real republic in the world we shall
become the glorious followers of the men
ar women of rs and '61, who made it a
partial republic and do our land and hui
manity the noblest service.