Volume II Part 38 (1/2)
Mr. Julian, in the House, on leave, introduced the following bill further to extend the right of suffrage in the District of Columbia:
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress a.s.sembled, That from and after the pa.s.sage of this act the right of suffrage in the District of Columbia shall be based upon citizens.h.i.+p; and all citizens of the United States, native and naturalized, resident in said District, who are twenty-one years of age, of sound mind, and who have not forfeited this right by crime, shall enjoy the same equally, irrespective of s.e.x.
SEC. 2, And be it further enacted, That all acts or parts of acts inconsistent with the provisions of this act are hereby repealed.
Mr. Julian, on leave, introduced the following bill further to extend the right of suffrage in the Territories of the United States:
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress a.s.sembled, That from and after the pa.s.sage of this act the right of suffrage in all the Territories of the United States, now or hereafter to be organized, shall be based upon citizens.h.i.+p; and all citizens of the United States, native or naturalized, resident in said Territories, who are twenty-one years of age, of sound mind, and who have not forfeited their right by crime, shall enjoy the same equally, irrespective of s.e.x.
SEC. 2, And be it further enacted, That all acts or parts of acts, either by Congress or the legislative a.s.semblies of said Territories, inconsistent with the provisions of this act are hereby declared null and void.
WOMAN SUFFRAGE IN UTAH.--March 25, 1869.--Mr. Julian introduced the following bill into Congress to discourage polygamy in Utah by granting the right of suffrage to the women of that Territory:
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress a.s.sembled, That from and after the pa.s.sage of this act the right of Suffrage in the Territory of Utah shall belong to, and may be exercised by, the people thereof, without any distinction or discrimination whatever founded on s.e.x.
The bill was read twice, referred to the Committee on Territories, and ordered to be printed.
The New York _Herald_ is no more than an average of the voice of the intelligent portion of the press in the following excerpts from its columns: Senator Wilson has introduced a bill so to amend the suffrage laws of the District of Columbia as to give to women of all colors and races, as well as men, the right of suffrage. As Congress has exclusive powers of legislation over the District of Columbia in all cases whatsoever, here is a fair chance to try the two houses upon this very interesting question.
There are a few out-spoken members of the Senate in favor of Woman Suffrage, and first and foremost among them is ”Old Ben Wade,” who goes for the whole programme of negroes' rights and women's rights. Senator Pomeroy, of Kansas, has so far advanced in the cause of Woman Suffrage that he has proposed to make it a part of the supreme law of the land. But we like the idea of Mr.
Wilson of first trying the experiment in the District of Columbia.
We remember the time when, in full view from the west front of the Capitol, there was a regular slave pen which was also a market where negroes were bought and sold. The abolitionists first raised a hue and cry against that pen, and they kept it up to 1850, when among the compromise measures of Henry Clay pa.s.sed that year was a provision abolis.h.i.+ng the slave trade in the District. Some twelve years later, during the rebellion, the bolder and broader experiment was tried of abolis.h.i.+ng slavery _in toto_ in said District. These measures over a reserved bit of territory over which Congress possesses absolute authority were deemed judicious experiments and were demanded for the sake of consistency, in view of the legislation resolved upon in Southern reconstruction. So now, in view of a const.i.tutional amendment establis.h.i.+ng not only manhood suffrage, but womanhood suffrage throughout the United States, Mr. Wilson doubtless thinks it wise first to try the experiment of Woman Suffrage in the aforesaid District, to see how it will work. As the District of Columbia has not only survived but has flourished and continues to flourish under emanc.i.p.ation and negro suffrage, we can not imagine why there should be any hesitation in trying therein the experiment of Woman Suffrage. At all events let Senator Wilson push forward his bill, so that the country may know, so that General Grant may know, and so that the women may know who in the Senate in favor of negroes' rights will dare to oppose woman's rights.
CONGRESS.--DECEMBER 16, 1869.--In the House, some discussion arose on a question involving the equality of woman to hold appointments in the government. It was on a bill providing for the taking of the census. A motion was made to amend an amendment by changing the word elector (voter) to resident.
MR. LAWRENCE, of Ohio, said: I am opposed to the amendment of the gentleman from New York. The effect will be to exclude every female from any appointment, and although I suppose there will not be many female applicants for office under this bill, I see no reason why we should exclude them. (Laughter.) I know no reason why a soldier's widow or any other female properly qualified might not receive an appointment to any office the duties of which she may be as capable of performing as those of our own s.e.x. If reasons exist let them be given. I will inquire of the gallant gentleman from New York whether he wishes to exclude this portion of his const.i.tuents and mine from the privilege of holding office under this bill? (Renewed laughter.)
Mr. WOOD: My amendment says elector, not electress, and until the ladies have the privilege of electors of the United States I propose to exclude them.
Mr. LAWRENCE: I am opposed to that. Merit and capacity to serve the people to the best advantage, after a proper consideration of claims, should be the test for office.
Mr. GARFIELD, of Ohio: The word ”elector” in the amendment of the gentleman from New York (Mr. Wood) would exclude Alaska altogether. There are no electors in Alaska. I would suggest that he subst.i.tute the word ”resident,” which would avoid the difficulty to which I have referred.
The question being put on Mr. Wood's amendment,
Mr. GARFIELD, of Ohio, moved to amend the proposed amendment by inserting the word ”resident” instead of ”elector.”
The question being put on Mr. Garfield's amendment to Mr. Wood's amendment, it was agreed to. The question being put on Mr. Wood's amendment, as amended, it was agreed to. So far, then, woman is not to be proscribed.
As in the war women bravely a.s.sumed duties in many departments of labor unknown to them before, so in the reconstruction they gave more earnest thought to questions of public policy, and made many valuable suggestions. A well written speech on ”Reconstruction and Universal Suffrage,” was delivered by Mrs. M. C. Walling, of Texas, in the Senate chamber of the Capitol at Was.h.i.+ngton, May 10th, 1866; The first and last time that a woman was ever granted the privilege of speaking there.
To Anna d.i.c.kinson belongs the honor of suggesting a XV amendment.
Although the XIV amendment to the National Const.i.tution gave to that doc.u.ment for the first time a concise definition of a ”citizen,” and forbade any State to abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States, yet this amendment was found inadequate to protect the political rights of the colored men; and the Republican party was anxiously casting about for a method of perfecting their work, when the puzzle was solved by a proposition for a XV amendment, which should prohibit disfranchis.e.m.e.nt on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. The suggestion for this amendment originated at the National Loyalists' Convention held at Philadelphia, September, 1866, in a consultation between Anna d.i.c.kinson, Frederick Dougla.s.s, and Theodore Tilton, and was in time accepted by the Republican party. It was reported in Congress Feb. 26, 1869, and received the necessary ratification March 30, 1870. Thus a woman and a colored man were two important factors in perfecting the work of reconstruction through a const.i.tutional provision prohibiting disfranchis.e.m.e.nt on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
As when the XIV amendment was pending, the efforts of women were directed toward securing the omission of the invidious word ”male,” so on the submission of the XV amendment their efforts were again directed toward securing the enfranchis.e.m.e.nt of woman by the introduction of the word ”s.e.x” in the last line of Section 1. But Congress with the usual short-sightedness of injustice, refused to secure the political freedom of one half the entire people, even forgetting to enfranchise a portion of the colored race from their ”previous condition of servitude” because of s.e.x.
The sound position taken by Anna d.i.c.kinson at this period is substantiated by Frederick Dougla.s.s, not only in his ”Life and Times,”
but in the following letters:
WAs.h.i.+NGTON, D. C., Jan. 31, 1882.