The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1913-08-21
Speech on Woman's Suffrage.

Following IL senator ThnmpsOn's
speech in the United States Senate on
Woman Suffrage, July 81 1918:
Mr.. President, take pleasure in
presenting petitions from numerous
intelligent and accomplished ladies OF
the State Of Kansas asking me to sup
port the suffrage amendment: and /
take this occasion to say a few words
ia behalf Of the amendment
Kansas is the infant State in the
suffrage movement. While we have
had woman suffrage in one form or
another in educational and municipal
affairs perhaps longer than most Of the
States, we have had complete woman
suffrage, equal suffrage, only since the
last general election.
Last year the Kansas women mod
estly, but earnestly, without flourish
OF trumpets, asked the men to grant
them this right, and we generously re.
sponded by most decisive vote.
No nobler women. no more devoted
wives, or more loving mothers, aud no
better housekeepeFs can be found any
where on earth, and we have no fears
OF their losing these excellent qualities
by extending that which OF right be-
longs to them. / congratulate them
upon their splendid victory and hearth
ly welcome them into their new field
Of labor. The temperance question,
always alive in my State, and all other
moral questions are now perfectly safe
and secure in the hands of the voters
for the first time in the history Of the
State.
have always favored woman suf-
frage because believe that under the
constitution OF the United States and
under the fundamental laws, woman
IS justly and legally entitled to it. II
look at it as much from legal stand
point as from any other, although from
a moral standpoint it can be urged with
even greater force. In this connection
| desire to read few sections from the
Constitution Of the United States bear
! ing out TINS contention,
Section Of Article " provides:
All persons born or naturalIzed in
the United States, and subject to the
Jurisdiction thereof, are citizens Of the
United States and OF the State wherein
they reside. No State shall make or
enforce any law which shall abridre
the privileges or immunities Of citizens
Of the United states; nor shall any
State deprive any person OF life, liberty
or property without due process Of law
nor deny to any person within its iuris-
diction the equal protection OF the
| laws,
The fifteenth amendment provides;
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.
1t will hardly be argued ny anyone
that women are not citizens. II they
are admitted TO be citizens, their legal
right to vote is already clearly estab-
ltshed by law
While | believe no constitutional |
amendment is really necessary to give
the right OF equal suffrage throughout
the United States | am certainly in
favor OF the proposed amendment. The
only reason We have not enjoyed wo-
men suffrage throughout the United
States is because the men have origi.
nally assumed the right and the power
TO deprive the women OF this legal right
OF suffrage. In the early days the men
in my State, who perhaps were not
then as just aud ehivalrous as they are
in this day, met and framed the con-
stitution of the State. In doing so.
while under the Constitution Of the
United States the women were equal
citizens with them, they deprived them
of their most sacred right of citizen.
ship, that OF voting
have often wondered what the re-
suit wouid have beer had the women
assumed this right and met aud framed {
the constitution Of Kansas, and de-
priyed the men Of the right to vote
| feel that the men judges OF the var d
ious courts would have held long ago {
that such action would have been un- :
So If il would have
been unconstitutional for the women
10 have framed the constitution of
Kansas and to have deprived the men
of the right to vote, | say it is uncon-
'titutional for the men to have met
and denied the women this right and
privilege. To use rather homely,
but forcible, familiar expression;