Year: 1874

MT. Carpenter of Wisconsin, believe it is not one of woman's rights; but 1t IS one of mans, that the franchise should be extended to women. | believe there IS no situation in which man can be placed l where the aid of woman is not beneficial; that in all the relations of life, in all the occupations all the duties of life it was the intention of God in creating the race that woman should be the h0lpmate of man, everywhere and in all circumstances occupations.

 Mr. Morrill, of Maine.-I am going to | vote against it because the right of suf- frage is that rugged and severe service which man has no right to devolve upon ! woman. It is enough to say that when l the American women want the ballot, when they come to hanker for it, and fall in love with the exercise of the ballot at the polls, I am in favor of their voting, but not until then; and I nm not in favor of 1 that sentimental sort of stuff which is got | ten up somewhere or other by portions of the people who would force it upon the American women as general prosposi- | tion. Whenever they come to desire it, and particularly when they come to de- mand it, or even to solicit it, there will be no question as to what the American con- gress will do but until that time comes l ! shall vote steadily against it.

 | MT. Anthony of Rhode Island;-I be- lieve that female suffrage is coming with the other ameliorations and changes which have been tending for so many years in the same direction. Ihave not taken any | part on the measures which have been Il ag1tated to hasten that event. I think it will como in its own good time; but I should do very great injustice to myself if l shall allow it to be supposed that my op- lnlon IS based upon some of the argu- I ments that have been made here. do | not believe that suffrage is natural right. believe it is right that grows ont of society, political right, and that it IS within the body-politic to decide upon its limits, it's notifications, and its con ditions: Tho only question in my mind IS whether 1t is proper and expedient.

 Mir. Edmunds of Vermont:-I think, it rather mistake to suppose, as the sena- l tor from Indiana seems to do, that the fe- males of the country arc laboring under any species of tyrany at present growing

 out of tue laws. The senator is undoubt- | edly aware that in the state of Indiana,

 which he so ably represents, females, ex cept as to the question. of voting, have great many rights and privileges pre- l served to them that men do not possess in respect to the protection of their pro- perty and their power to dispose of it.

 MT. Bayard of Delaware: :-I frankly say, Mir. President, that which strikes me most forcibly is the gross irreverence of this proposition, its utter disregard of that Divine will by which man and woman were created different, physically, intellect ually, and morally, and in defiance of which we are now to have thispoor, weak, futile attempt of man. to set up his schemes of amelioration in defiance of all that we have read, of every tradition, of every revelation, of all human experience, enlightened as it has been by Divine per mission. Under the operation of this amendment what wifi become of the

 family heartstone around which cluster

 the very best influences of human educa- ton?

 Mir. Stewart-I want to call tho atten-

 tion of the senator from Delaware and of the senate and of the country to a few | facts in regard to this matter of woman's rights, and to see whether it has not been | we'll to change some of the ancient order of things. There was time among our Anglo-Saxon fathers when it was serious | ly discussed in tho law-books what slze the whip should be with which husband could properly chastise his wife. If it was no larger than thumb, I believe, no action would lie. Do you think that women have been less loyal to their husbands, do you think that virtue has been less protected in this country since the rights of women were vindicated by the law, since they were entitled to hold property? Have they not been as good wives as they were formerly? Has society been injured thereby? So far as the rights Y of oIo

 man to own property and to have the pro- lection of the law in it, and not to be made pauper and beggar by a drunken | husband.