SPEECH, ARTICLE, BOOK FILE CATT, CARRIE CHAPMAN Speech, "The Case for Woman Suffrage" 1 The Case for Woman Suffrage The handwriting on the wall of human destiny [modern wall] announces the inevitable coming of woman suffrage. All signs point in that direction, and none point the other way. For a thousand years the evolution of governments has been slowly but certainly supplanting the rule of kings and aristocracies with the right of men to rule themselves. In our own country this development has traveled further than in most. In 1779 the National Congress [*11x7 = 77*] 1 The Case for Woman Suffrage The handwriting on the wall of human destiny announces the meritable coming of woman suffrage. All signs point in that direction, and none point the other way. For a thousand years the evolution of governments has been slowly but certainly supplanting the rule of kings and aristocraces with the right of men to rule themselves. In our own country this development has travelled further than in most. In 1779 the National Congress 11 x 7 = 77 2 [others?]: 1 The evolution which points to democracy of government and 2 the evolution of women themselves For more than a thousand years, de- spite the backsets of wars and other reactionary influences, the trend of human affairs has been steadily moving toward a substitution of rule by the people for the rule of kings and aristocracies that curious obsession of the human mind "The Divine Right of Kings" which dominated [*88*] [*20*] [*____*0 [*1760*] 3 the world for centuries has very slowly but surely given way to the idea [theory] of government by the popular will. Self government itself has grown slowly, each class vested with the ballot protestly intolerantly and bitterly against extending the privilege to the next class demanding it. The same objections have been repeated over and over again as thought just discovered valid reasons why the disfranchised knock at the door of democracy should not be admitted "They do not want the will." "They are mentally and morally unfit to use it" "They will jeopardise the morality and stability of the government". [Or to put it still more simply He who has the vote says to] [duplicate of previous image] 3 he would for centuries has very slowly but surely given way to the idea of govern ment by the popular will. Self government itself has grown slowly, each class vested with the ballot protestly intolerantly and bitterly against extending the privlege to the next class demanding it. The same objections have been repeated over and over again as thought just discovered valid reasons why the disfranchised knock at the door of democracy should not be admitted "They do not want the will." "They are mentally and morally unfit to use it" "They will jeopardise the morality and [?]ability of the government" Atlantic, Gulf & Pacific Co. Engineers and Contractors Dredging, Dredging Machines, Land Reclamation, Canals, Docks, Piers, Foundations, Bridges. Offices New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Spokane, Vancouver, B.C., Manila, P.I., Panama, C Z. Park Row Building Cable Address "Dredging," New York, AI. Lieber's, Seeger's, A B C and Western Union Codes. New York Subject 3 [the world for centuries has very slowly but very surely given way to the Divine Right of the popular will.] Self government itself has grown slowly. In 1699 the Assembly of New York definitely excluded Catholics from the suffrage upon [in 1737] the ground that Papists were unfit to vote as was done in most of the Colonies. [and in 1737 it disenfranchised the Jews.] Jews were probably permitted to vote in none of the Colonies, [and] but [a few had done so in N. Y City. A] a contested election in 1737 [in N Y City] brought out the fact that a few had done so in N Y. City. As a result the matter was Atlantic, Gulf & Pacific Co. Engineers and Contractors Dredging, Dredging Machines, Land Reclamation, Canals, Docks, Piers, Foundations, Bridges. Offices New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Spokane, Vancouver, B.C., Manila, P.I., Panama, C.Z. Park Row Building Cable Address "Dredging," New York, AI. Lieber's, Seeger's, A B C and Western Union Codes. New York Subject 4 brought to the attention of the Assembly. It not only refused to count the votes in question, but made certain that [Jews or] no further attempts to vote would be allowed to Jews by passing a act disfranchising them. The chief plea was made by "Mr. Smith, later chief justice" who in an impassioned speech declared that the death of Christ at the hands of the Jews centuries before produced a curse which still clung to the[ir] race and "rendered them unfit for political duties." [In most of the] In N Y. Catholics and Jews were denied the vote until 1777 when the Atlantic, Gulf & Pacific Co. Engineers and Contractors Dredging, Dredging Machines, Land Reclamation, Canals, Docks, Piers, Foundations, Bridges. Offices New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Spokane, Vancouver, B.C., Manila, P.I., Panama, C. Z. Park Row Building Cable Address "Dredging," New York, AI. Lieber's, Seeger's, A B C and Western Union Codes. New York Subject 7 first constitutional convention was held and religious desqualification were swept away. The vote was then [based on] extended to land holders as was the case in all the colonies In N. Y. so doubtful were the makers of the first constitution as to the trustworthiness of men who did not possess a landed stake in the country, that they made a difference in the qualification of election for house and senate; [A man possessed] [of] $100 worth of land [could] qualified a man to vote for the house but $500 worth was required to enable him to vote for the Senate. In the constitutional convention of 1821, it was proposed to equalize the qualifications for the electors of the two houses. ATLANTIC GULF & PACIFIC CO. ENGINEERS AND CONTRACTORS DREDGING, DREDGING MACHINES, AND RECLAMATION, CANALS, DOCKS, PIERS, FOUNDATIONS, BRIDGES. OFFICES NEW YORK, SAN FRANCISCO, LOS ANGELES, SEATTLE, SPOKANE, VANCOUVER, B. C. , MANILA, PANAMA, C. Z. PARK ROW BUILDING CABLE ADDRESS "DREDGING," NEW YORK, AI. LIEBER'S, SEEGER'S, A B C AND WESTERN UNION CODES. SUBJECT NEW YORK 5 [That debate furnishes the best possible clue to public opinion of the day concerning] 7 1/2 The debate upon the proposal occupied fully half the time of the convention and the opponents of the charges literally heard the citadel of human freedom tumbling about their ears as the contemplated the awful [results of so] fate of a land that would so imprudently trust a man [with] possessed of $100 worth of land to vote for Governor and Senate 7 women alone must seek the vote through amendment of constitution which means that their appeal for empowering must be [heard] presented [but?] voters [to their s?t] and the consent of a majority secured [It means that every prejudice which ancient traditions honor. This fact brings us arouses] [?] this fact [?] main questions is project themselves, (1) [why] for what reason or reasons is the vote granted women 2 Do those reasons exclude women. Men then received the vote for one reason and one only since taxation as a [qualefie?] was rumored. That reason is that each man is a member of society which for the happi ness the prosperity, the welfare of all [must] [[?]] requires the regulation of its affairs 8 [maintenance of schools,] good roads and [?] safe streets, schools to educate the youth, halls for the education [al purposes] of all the community good water, pure food, protection from disease and vice, courts to settle disputes jails for the detention of dangerous char- acters, homes asylums and hospitals for dependents and unfortunates. In the larger State in which all the smaller communities combine, there Transcribed and reviewed by volunteers participating in the By The People project at crowd.loc.gov.