The representative., 1900-04-05
The HOfne.~
Woman's Department.
=, " vW.~ Txssss1

The Justice of Woman Suffrage.
Mary Church Terrill, president Of the
National Association of Colored Wom-
en-. gave most scolarly and logical ad-
dress upon 1.-The Justice of Woman Suf-
frage" at the national suffrage conven-
ton which has been in session the past
week in Washington. She said in part:
ITO assign reasons in this day and
time why it is unjust to deprive one
half of the human race of rights and
privileges freely accorded to. the other
which is neither more deserving nor
more capable of exercising them, seems
like reflection upon the intelligence
of the audience to which they are pre-
sented. To argue the inalienability and
equality of human rights at the close of
the Nineteenth century, in a country
whose government is founded upon the
eternal principles that All men are
created free and equal that Govern
ments derive their just powers from the
consent of the governed seems like lay
ing ones self liable to the charge of
anachrOnism.
LAS nation we professed long ago
to have abandoned the principle that
might makes right Before the world
we pose today as a government whose
citizens have the right to liberty, life
and the pursuit of happiness yet
in spite of these lofty professions and
noble sentiments, the present policy of
this government Is to hold one-half Of
its citizens in legal subjection to the
other, without being able to assign good
and sufficient reasons for such a flag
rant violation Of the very principles
upon which it was founded.
heaven and earth to witness that it
should be a government of the people,
for the people and by the people; and
yet the elective franchise is withheld
from one-half of the citizens, many of
whom are intelligent, cultured and vir-
tuous, while it is unstintingly bestowed
upon the other, some of whom are il
literate, debauched and vicious because
the word people by an unparalleled ex-
hibition of photographed acrobatics
has been turned and twisted to mean
all who were shrewd and wise enough to
have themselves born boys instead of
girls, or who took the trouble to be born
white instead of black.
Even if it be true that the majority
or American women are so ignorant of
the full significance of their political
disfranchisement that they are willing
to remain in subjection, such ignorance
and apathy could not justly be used
as an argument in favor of perpetuating
a system of injustice. Neither could it
by any feat of logic or legerdemain of
reason be construed as an argument
against granting full suffrage to the
few women who have sufficient intelli-
gence to desire it.
The argument that it is unnatural
Tor women to vote is as old as the rock
ribbed and ancient hills. Whatever is
unusual is called unnatural the world
over. When the world takes a step
forward in progress some old custom
falls dead at our feet. Nothing could be
more unnatural than that a good woman
should shirk her duty to the state, il it
were possible for her to discharge it.
IT you marvel that so few women
work vigorously for political enfran-
chisement, let me remind YOU that WON.
ems success in almost everything de-
pends upon what men think of her.
Why the majority of men oppose woman
suffrage is clear even to the dullest COM
prehension. In all great reforms it ia
only the few brave souls who have the
courage OF their convictions and who
are willing to fight until victory is
wrested from the very jaws of fate.
FINALLY, wherever woman suffrage
has been tried it has been a glorious
success. In New Zealand and Australia
the blessings which have flowed from
woman suffrage have exceeded the ex-
pectations of its most sanguine and
ardent advocates. In four western
states OF this country the good results
expected from the political emancipation
OF women have been more than realized
None OF the evils predicted by our on
ponents have materialized, and the
country still stands"
Why 1t Was Brave
We read in the Book of Proverbs: "A
so1t answer turneth away wrath" It is
also true that witty replv often tates