CONGRESS, UNITED STATES. 



137 



nature al><>\v tli- peasantry and working-classes 



World. Why is this* I think much 

 n-iilts from the fart that tllO pooplo X)f 



e compelled to servo upon juries, 

 ticipate in the government of their own 

 in various rapacities, and, finally, to 

 take part in all the great concerns of govern- 

 ment. That elevates a man and makes him 

 n consequence in the community in 

 which lu- lives. 



It is for these reasons, as much as any 

 other, that I wish to sco the franchise extended 

 iy person of mature age and discretion, 

 who has committed no crime." 



Mr. Vates, of Illinois, followed, saying: "I 

 believe that this issue will come, and if the 

 gentleman proposes to make it in the next elec- 

 tions I .shall be with him perhaps on the ques- 

 tion of universal suffrage; for, sir, I am for 

 universal suffrage. I am not for qualified suf- 

 frage ; I am not for property suffrage ; lam 

 not for intelligent suffrage, as it is termed : but 

 I am for universal suffrage. That is my doc- 

 trine. But, sir, when it is proposed to crush 

 out the will of the American people by an issue 

 which, certainly, is not made in sincerity and 

 truth, then I have no difficulty whatever. 

 While I do not commit myself against the prog- 

 of human civilization, because I believe 

 that time is coming, in voting 'no' on this 

 amendment, I only vote to maintain the posi- 

 tion for which I have fought, and for which my 

 State lias fought." 



Mr. Wilson, of Massachusetts, said : " I am 

 opposed to connecting together these two ques- 

 tions, the enfranchisement of black men and 

 the enfranchisement of women, and, therefore, 

 shall vote against the amendment. 



" But I say to the Senator from Pennsylvania, 

 that while these are my opinions, while I will 

 vote now or at any time for woman suffrage, if 

 he or any other Senator will offer it as a dis- 

 tinet, separate measure, I am unalterably op- 

 posed to connecting that question with the 

 pending question of negro suffrage. The ques- 

 tion of negro suffrage is now an imperative 

 necessity; a necessity that the negro should 

 possess ifc for his own protection ; a necessity 

 that he should possess it thyit the nation may 

 preserve its power, its strength, and its unity. 

 We have fought that battle, as has been stated 

 by the Senator from Illinois; we have won 

 negro suffrage for the District of Columbia, aud 

 I say I believe we have won it for all the 

 States; and before the 4th of March, 1869 

 before this administration shall close I hope 

 that the negro, in all the loyal States, will bo 

 clothed with the right of suffrage. That they 

 will be in the ten rebel States, I cannot doubt, 

 for patriotism, liberty, justice, and humanity 

 demand it." 



Mr. Johnson, of Maryland, said: "The im- 

 mediate question before the Senate, I under- 

 stand, is upon the amendment offered by the 

 honorable member from Pennsylvania, which^ 

 if I am correctly informed, is to strike out the 



word* 'male, 1 so as to give to all persona, in- 

 dependent of sex, the right of voting. It in, 

 therefore, a proposition to admit to the right 

 of suffrage all the females in the District of 

 Columbia who may have the reqnir. <1 iv-idcnce, 

 and are of the required age. I am not aware 

 that the right is given to that class anywhere in 

 the United States. I believe for a very short time 

 ray friend from New Jersey will inform me if 

 I am correct it was more or less extended to 

 the women in New Jersey; but, if that be an 

 exception, it is, as far as I am informed, the 

 only exception ; and there are a variety of rea- 

 sons why, as I suppose, the right has never 

 been extended as now proposed. 



"Ladies have duties peculiar to themselves, 

 which cannot be discharged by anybody else 

 the nuKure and education of their children, the 

 demands upon them consequent upon the pre- 

 servation of their household and they are sup- 

 posed to be more or less in their proper voca- 

 tion when they are attending to those particular 

 duties. But, independent of that, I think if it 

 was submitted to the ladies I mean the ladies 

 in the true acceptation of the term of the 

 United States, the privilege would not only not 

 be asked for, but would be rejected. I do not 

 think the ladies of the United States would 

 agree to enter into a canvass, and to undergo 

 what is often the degradation of seeking to 

 vote, particularly in the cities getting up to 

 the polls, crowded out and crowded in. I 

 rather think they would feel it, instead of a 

 privilege, a dishonor. 



"There is another reason why the right 

 should not be extended to them, unless it is the 

 purpose of the honorable member and of the 

 Senate to go a step further. The reason why 

 the males are admitted to the privilege, and why 

 it was almost universal in the United States, 

 with reference to those of a certain age, is, 

 that they may be called upon to defend the 

 country in time of war, or in time of insurrec- 

 tion. I do not suppose it is pretended that the 

 ladies should be included in the militia organi- 

 zation, or be compelled to take up arms to de- 

 fend the country. That must be done by the 

 male sex, I hope." 



Mr. Brown, of Missouri, said: "Mr. Presi- 

 dent, I do not believe that the pending amend- 

 ment to the bill extending the franchise to wo- 

 men in the District of Columbia, offered by the 

 Senator from Pennsylvania, was designed to be 

 carried out into practical legislation at this time 

 or in this connection. I think it was rather 

 intended to elicit an expression of opinion from 

 members of the Senate, upon the general prop- 

 osition involved. If it were to go into practi- 

 cal effect, I am one of those who believe that it 

 would be necessary to accompany it by a good 

 deal of other legislation to prevent it from de- 

 generating into abuse, and perhaps corrupting 

 many of those it designs to advance in position 

 and influence. But, accepting the matter in 

 the light which I have stated, for one I am 

 willing to expiess an opinion very freely on 



