Year: 1879

dent to all, that it is constitutional and
right that they vote and hold Office in
towns; and if so in States.


| am happy to say that the right Of
woman suffrage has existed in Wyoming
territory for the last nine years with
marked and happy results. The polls
in that far-off territory are attended by
both sexes. and they are conducted in an
orderly and quiet manner as religious
meeting. The sight might be somewhat
novel to see men, women and children
visiting the polls together, as they meet
in other gatherings. but there is no in
consistency in it. Husbands and wives
might vote opposite tickets. and for diff
ferent measures (Which they are very like
ly to on temperance matters) without any
harm. No one would wish to hint that
| ----~-iL Ly--~~~~.--eA-r run..ld Stand
better chance of succeeding. were women
allowed to vote. But it has been alleged
that women would not vote if they had
an opportunity. If SO, how did it hap
pen that seven.eights of the women in
this village petitioned the last legisla-
ture for the right of suffrage for them
selves and the women of Vermont? This
State, politically, is overwhelmingly
Republican, and this great party has
boasted that it is party of freedom. 1t
procured those amendments to the .. S.
Constitution that gave freedom to mill
lions of slaves, and right of citizenship
with all the privileges of citizenship to
every son and daughter of the land.
What an absurd position! Vermont, the
most Republican State in the Union, and
yet she fails to grant one-half of her cit
izens the right of the ballot


Charles Sumner, the great Republican
Senator, declared that taxation without
representation was tyranny. and Henry
Wilson and other equally great men
have conceded not only the right but the
policy of female suffrage. Plato, two
thousand years ago, laid down the broad
principle, that nothing could be more
absurd than the justice of not allowing
men and women to engage in the same
pursuits, with one might and mind for
the good of the State. He further said:
"No one will deny that women ought to
share, as far as possible, in education
and other ways with men" Again he
says: "The legislator ought to be a
whole and perfect man, not one-half of
man; he ought not to let the female sex
live softly and waste money, and have
no order Of life, while he takes the ut
most care of the male sex, leaving half
of society, only, blessed with happiness,
when he might have made the whole
State happy" Pretty good doctrine for
heather philosopher! What have the
civilized heather of this century to say?
| In 1856 Margaret Garner and seven
others escaped from the bondage of slav-
cry in Kentucky, and were secreted by
colored man in Ohio. Being pursued
and captured by United States Mar
shall. Margaret cut the throats of her
children. rather than have them remand
ed to the cruelties of slavery. The State
of Ohio undertook to defend and protect
Mrs. Garner. but inasmuch as her laws
we're then in conflict with the laws of
the nation, they were set aside and the
stricken woman suffered for her crime:
stating, however, that she preferred to
suffer death On the scaffold as murder
er, to the horrors of slavery. At that
time, the Fugative Slave law was declar-
ed to be constitutional, though it was
law of the oppressor; to-day we have a
law, IN the late amendments to the
Constitution, that sets the oppressed free,
and yet we dare not assert our rights
and enfranchise the sex from the thrall-
dom of that slavery which withholds
from her the ballot Until we grant
them this heaven bought right, we shall
not do justice to ourselves, or act the
consistent part of men.


For a boasted land of freedom there
are some remarkable inconsistencies in
this government of ours In some of
the States there are civilized Indians
who are following the peaceful pursuits
of life, but our constitution does not
recognize them as citizens; on the other
hand there is not a race so degraded, or
man so cursed by ignorance in all
Europe, who cannot come to this land,
and purchase all the rights of citizen
ship for paltry some of money, SO soon
as he has resided here long enough to
claim that right. So the black, the
white. the high the low, the learned and
unlearned. native or foreign are citizens.
if SO be they are males, while the women
of this proud land are ostracized. Gov
ernment spends millions of dollars an
nually in the annihilation of the Indians;
wouldn't it be better so spend some in
significant sum in giving them an edu-
cation, and citizenship?


At one time miniature rebellion was
started In Rhode Island, because parties
there demanded the repeal of a land


qualification for voters, which denied a
part of the citizens the right of voting.


Governor Dorr took part in the muss
and was imprisoned for life, and the


rebels of that little State were called AL
gerenes. Why not imprison Mrs. Liver
, more, Lucy Stone and host of others.
because they are now asking for their
i 4