A HIGH COURT OF SUFFRAGE
THE SOLONS AND THE WOMEN - FIERY PARTICLES AND BITING ARTICLES - A SCENE IN THE HOUSE - DEMANDING THE INALIENABLE
All of Indianapolis of a strong minded sort; all of the women who despise the tyrant rule of man and weep like Rachel for the dead babe of equal rights, came together in the assembly of the sages to listen to the concentrated spice of suffrage life. The Chamber was crowded and the scene like a gala day in Congress. The very young ladies present were interested in the members, while the members seemed interested in the mammas. Among the younger law-makers there was unseemly, but suppressed, levity, as the delinquent caught the eagle eye of outraged womanhood fixed in scorn upon them.
In a silence of eager expectation the Lieutenant Governor presented the first speaker, Mrs. Margaret B. Longley Of Cincinnati. Mrs. Longley spoke substantially as follows: In behalf of these petitioners I desire to call your attention to the injustice done to half your people by the present system of legislation and to ask your honorable body to take such action as shall remove the cause for dissatisfaction. In attempting to show the justness of woman's claim to the ballot box it is not necessary to go back beyond the declaration of principles upon which this Government is based. Having so long maintained such a system of government, we can but conclude that the principles are approved of by the people, and it will be unnecessary to discuss principles upon which we are all agreed. My task will be to show, according to these principles, and according to justice and the spirit of the Constitution, that women are entitled to the same rights and privileges with men, including that of the ballot.
Occupying the position of subjects, and experiencing the disadvantages of such a position, our forefathers became convinced that a government which does not derive its powers from the consent of the governed is not a just one; and with the hope of benefitting future generations, they desired to establish in America such a system of government as they believed would most effectually secure the equality of all before the law. And, as we are told, in order to secure the blessings of liberty for themselves and their posterity, they ordained and established the Constitution of the United States. This Constitution was to provide for the protection of all the people. But the rights of one-half the people have been ignored. The powers that be failed to respect the intent of our forefathers to secure the blessings of liberty for their posterity. Having enjoyed without question political freedom themselves, men fail to think of those who are deprived of it. Indeed many of them did not seem to realize that an aristocracy has been established in America which is no less oppressive than that of the past, and one which is much more unnatural, because it places those bearing the near relation of husband and wife, son and mother, in opposition, as superior and subordinate. I mean the aristocracy of sex. The civil laws speak boastfully of the guarantees of justice to every American citizen in its ballot, and of the advantages of a republican government. While one half of our citizens are denied all participation in its affairs, can such a government be called a republican government? What is a republic? Jefferson says a republic means a government of citizens in mass, acting directly and personally according to rules established by the majority. But all citizens of the United States do not act personally, and are not governed according to any rule established by the majority. Women being excluded, but one-half the citizens vote. Consequently, it is not a government of the majority, but one-half the people govern this country.
"IT IS SOMETIMES"
Said that the phrase "the people," as used in the Constitution, does not include women, and should not be understood literally. This is an untenable position
The lady referred to and read some of those clauses in amendments to the General Constitution, which prescribes the right of the people to be secured in their persons, houses, papers, etc., against unreasonable search and seizure; and from this and similar clauses of that instrument reasoned at length, that the words "people," "citizen," "men," "man," etc., are used with page: 52[View Page 52] reference to race and not to sex; and logically, thence deduced life right of the woman to the ballot. The intuition of the speaker caught the strong points of her message, reaching eagerly to the fact that the people of this State are contemplating a convention to amend the organic law, so much so that it seemed to the listener sometimes as though the address was to such a convention of the people sitting as a committee of the whole on the single question, which freighted the sheet to the classical and eloquent peroration, to this effect. Then, if we honor human develment, let us have it in all its purity. The world needs the influence of woman no less than that of man. If women fail to exert the perennial influences on the social world, or on the political world, society is defrauded; for the combined gifts of God's creatures is necessary in order to perfect the great design. Then let women have full scope for all their powers. There need be no fear that women will lose their femine characteristics, for, be assured, they are too firmly implanted by the Creator. Remember, gentlemen, as your law books tell you, the political position of woman is a disgrace to a civilized nation - the theory of the laws degrade them almost to the level of slaves - and then say if there is any question of equal importance with woman suffrage before the American people. I trust that I address persons capable of laying aside prejudice, and of deciding a case according to the evidence and according to justice, regardless of preconceived opinions and prejudices; therefore, I hope that our woman's petition will be granted; that you will give it at least your serious consideration.
MRS. CUTLER.
The Lieutenant Governor then introduced Mrs. H. M. F. Cutler, who spoke briefly to the following purport: Gentlemen of the Committee and of the Legislature of IndianaI count myself happy this day that I have the privilege of presenting before your honorable body the grand question of the age, and I do it with the more pleasure because I recognize how the great principles of our republican institutions have grown into your hearts, have enlarged your views, have lifted you up till you stand above all mere prejudices; and I am reminded of that exquisite sentiment of Sir William Chase:
- - "What constitutes a state?
- Not high rais'd battlements or labored mounds,
- Not tow'r and moated gates; not cities proud
- With spires and turrets crown'd," etc.
It is to such men that I address the great question of the age - men who know their rights and know their duties - and knowing their rights and duties, they will never abridge the rights and duties of any of their class. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I came to you, at the request of the Executive Committee of the American Woman Suffrage Association, who have taken upon themselves the duty of presenting their question to the American people. They have asked Mrs. Longley and myself to go before the several Legislatures of the States of this Union, and, if possible, present this question so clearly and earnestly, that you might be prevailed to remove whatever disabilities as to the suffrage there exists. I know you all must have felt sympathizingly for the second speaker while listening to the first. You must, all of you, have said; What is left for her? The whole ground has been so thoroughly gone over that there is nothing else to hear. As far as the argument is concerned, she has brought it all before you, clearly, distinctly and logically, but you know that when a good itinerant has preached a sermon, he naturally wants somebody to follow him with an exhortation. So this lady continued in a voice of superior richness, and with great pleasantry, to make her address to the convention of rather a personal and anecdotal character, which was well received, as was the address of Mrs. Longley, with frequent and sometimes irrepressible applause, to the close.
And then after some explation by Mrs. Swank and others with reference to what seemed to have been a conflict of appointments of the agents of the American Association and the Indiana Association, the Lieutenant Governor prorogued the convocation, and the ladies and Senators retired.
The Speaker again called the House to order.
Mr. Thayer gave notice to the House of the intention or Mr. Hardesty to submit a motion to reconsider the vote of yesterday by which the Satterwhite empyricism bill [H. R. 101] was defeated; and it was ordered that the motion be entered on the journal. The House then adjourned.
