Women -- Suffrage -- History; Women -- Suffrage -- United States -- History; Women's rights -- History; Women's rights -- United States -- History
Mr. MORRILL: I have said distinctly on a former occasion that I
did not; and therefore I am not to be put in the attitude of so
arguing. The Senator does not believe that; he is not here urging
a principle in which he believes. What is he doing? Trying to do
mischief; trying to make somebody believe he is sincere. That is
labor lost here. It will not succeed, of course. Now, what is his
position? "I do not believe in woman suffrage, and do not believe
in negro suffrage, but if you will insist upon male negro
suffrage I will insist upon woman negro suffrage." That is his
position exactly. "If you insist that the male negro shall vote,
I insist the female shall." That is his attitude, nothing more
nor less. Mr. President, I do not think there is much force in
the position. He has not offered an argument on the subject. He
has read from a paper. He has introduced here the discourse of
some ladies in some section of the country, upon what they esteem
to be their own rights, in illustration; that is all; not as
argument; he does not offer it as an argument, but to illustrate
his theme and to put us in an attitude, as he supposes, of
embarrassment on that subject. He has read papers which are
altogether foreign from his view of this subject, and which he
for a moment will not indorse. He offers these as an illustration
with a view of illustrating his side of the question, and
particularly with a view of embarrassing this measure.
Mr. COWAN: Well, now, Mr. President, I desire to answer a
question of the Senator. He alleges that I am not serious in the
amendment I have moved, that I am not in earnest about it. How
does he know? By what warrant does he undertake to say that a
brother Senator here is not serious, not in earnest. I should
like to know by what warrant he undertakes to do that. He says I
do not look serious. I have not perhaps been trained in the same
vinegar and persimmon school [laughter]; I have not been
doctrinated into the same solemn nasal twang which may
characterize the gentleman, and which may be considered to be the
evidence of seriousness and earnestness. I generally speak as a
man, and as a good-natured man, I think. I hope I entertain no
malice toward anybody. But the honorable gentleman thinks I want
to become a radical. Why, sir, common charity ought to have
taught the honorable Senator better than that. I think no such
imputation, even on the part of the most virulent opponent that I
may have, can with any justice be laid to my door. I have never
yielded to his radicalism; I have never truckled to it. Whether
it be right or wrong, I have never bowed the knee to it. From the
very word "go" I have been a conservative; I have endeavored to
save all in our institutions that I thought worth saving.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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