Women -- Suffrage -- History; Women -- Suffrage -- United States -- History; Women's rights -- History; Women's rights -- United States -- History
Mr. Broomall proposes to amend by saying "male electors," Mr. Schenck
"male citizens," Mr. Jenckes "male citizens," Mr. Stevens "legal
voters." There is no objection to the amendment proposed by Mr.
Stevens, as in process of time women may be made "legal voters" in the
several States, and would then meet that requirement of the
Constitution. But those urged by the other gentlemen, neither time,
effort, nor State Constitutions could enable us to meet, unless, by a
liberal interpretation of the amendment, a coat of mail to be worn at
the polls might be judged all-sufficient. Mr. Jenckes and Mr. Schenck,
in their bills, have the grace not to say a word about taxes,
remembering perhaps that "taxation without representation is tyranny."
But Mr. Broomall, though unwilling to share with us the honors of
Government, would fain secure us a place in its burdens; for while he
apportions representatives to "male electors" only, he admits "_all
the inhabitants_" into the rights, privileges, and immunities of
taxation. Magnanimous M. C.!
I would call the attention of the women of the nation to the fact that
under the Federal Constitution, as it now exists, there is not one
word that limits the right of suffrage to any privileged class. This
attempt to turn the wheels of civilization backward, on the part of
Republicans claiming to be _the_ Liberal party, should rouse every
woman in the nation to a prompt exercise of the only right she has in
the Government, the right of petition. To this end a committee in New
York have sent out thousands of petitions, which should be circulated
in every district and sent to its Representative at Washington as soon
as possible.
ELIZABETH CADY STANTON.
NEW YORK, _January 2, 1866_.
[50] Leaving Rochester October 11th, she called on Martha Wright,
Auburn; Phebe Jones and Lydia Mott, Albany; Mrs. Rose, Gibbons, Davis,
Stanton, New York; Lucy Stone and Antoinette Brown Blackwell, New
Jersey; Stephen and Abby Foster, Worcester; Mrs. Severance, Dall,
Nowell, Dr. Harriot K. Hunt, Dr. Zakzyewska, Mr. Phillips and
Garrison, in Boston, urging them to join in sending protests to
Washington against the pending legislation. Mr. Phillips at once
consented to vote $500 from the "Jackson Fund" to commence the work.
Miss Anthony and Mrs. Stanton spent all their "Christmas holidays" in
writing letters and addressing appeals and petitions to every part of
the country, and before the close of the session of 1865-66 ten
thousand signatures were poured into Congress.
[51] "THIS IS THE NEGRO'S HOUR."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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