Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, October 15, 1882, Page 2

OM OCTOBER 16 k ']‘Hl% DAILY BEE- AHA MONDAY SHALL WOMAN YOTE? Joint Debate Between Miss Susan B, Anthony and Ed- ward Rosewater, An Exhaunstive Review of the Wo- man's Suflcage Issue. The hour alloted to Miss having expired, the president Miss Couzens called time and introduced Mr. Rosewater to the audience. Mr. Rosewater said: Bies Prosident, Ladies and Gentlemen Ona bright morning m 1881, I stood upon a platform a great deat more elevated than this, Fancy an audience fifty times as numerous as that which is assembled 1n thia bnild- ing. That platform was erected in front of the main entrance of the east wing of the capitol of the United States. Upon that platform was to be inaugurated the president of the United Statesof America, and the vast concourse of people below were assem- bled to witness the ceremonies of ia- augural. Around him on that plat- form were congregated the dignitaries of the nation; thero were there the general of the army and the generals below him to the rank of brigadier; there was the admiral and commo dores of the navy, all in full dress uniform; there was the senate of the Unifed States and as many members of the houge of representatives as oould find room. Thero was the diplomatic corps representing all the nations of the earth. In the first seats sat the judges of the supreme court 1n their flowing robes and in the center sat the president and president-elect. Immediately behind them sat two wo- men, Eliza Garfield and Lucretia Gar- field. After the chief justice had read the oath of office to the president elect, and he had repeated it in a clear voice, the president kissed the bible, and then, turning around, kissed his mother and his wite, (Applause.) In the sugust presence ot that vast as- semblags this was the most sublime spectacle that ever I beheld, and to moit proreuted the highest ideal of American manhood and Amwmerican womanhood. (Applause.) That duti- ful son offering a tribute of love to hip wife and mother in the presence of the nation was the highest type of man. hood. The devoted mother and fond wife were the highest ideal of Ameri- can womanhood. I hold in wy hand an envelops directed to Elizs Garfield, Solon, Cu - ahoga county, Ohio, and on the mar- in 18 written J. A; Garfield, M. C. secured this memento through the family of the lamented president. This memento speaks for itself. In my estimation the highest aim that woman in this country may have, Anthony March, Widows are entitled to homestead righta as heads of family the same as men, but they simply promise t> obey the constitution and laws, She also hae to forswear allegiance to foreign governments because the country in which she is born may impose certain obligations on all natives. I go further than all this Teclaim the right of sut- frage was acquired by the founders of this republic, They fought for ita in- dependence and they acqired the right by their ability to masntain their recdom. There is where suffcage originated. Thore who cannot defend the flag and compel obedience to our laws have no right to make laws they cannot enforce, nor force npon us wars which they cannot fight out, A few months ago the women of Massachusetts applied to the legisla- ture by petition for the right of suf. frage. Massachusetts is an enlight. ened state. Thore are more educa- tional institutions in Massachusetts than in any other state in the union, and a loss number of foreigners, They cannot bo charged with betng over- awed by foreign ignorance or preju- die What did the legislature of Massa- shusetts do? After a thorough in. vestigation by a joint committee, they made a report which,contains the following extract: ‘1t was stated by one of the peti- tioners that she considered that the frauchise ought to be, like air and water, open and free to all. Proba- bly she did not really mean quite all that this might imply, but simply that there should be no sex line of division. Every human bheing ccmes into this world in a condition of guardianship. Wichout the protecting care of some- body, even the right to llve could be enjoyed but for a very brief time. So far evor as admission into the duties aund truats of citizenship in a free re- public are concerned, we are born into a condition of probation, and can exercise public trusts and perform public duties only under the rules which we find laid down by the so- ciety into which we enter The question, therefore, is ot what rights in administering a government me:n and women may have been born pos- sessed of, but whethor the regulations of the society into which they are born are, upon the whole, and taking all things into consderation, wiee and reasgnable, keeping in view the na- turdl rights, the adequate protection, aird the best interests of men and women, and keeping also in viow tho oxtent to which these regulations are ffounded upon the deliberate sense and judgment, not of the men ex- clusively, but of both women and men,” On this report the legtslature of Massachusetts deolined to grant the right of suffeage to women, TAXATION AND REPRESENTATION, Now, then, our fricndson the other sido claim aud assert that taxation and representaticn must go hand io hand in this government; that they are the fundameutal principle, and that women being taxed and govsroed should bave a voico in the govern- ment., That proposition I also ‘deny. The objection made by the Ameri- more than she ever could achieve by the enfranchisement of her sex—to bethe mother of a manly man, like James A. Garfield. (Applause,) ‘That wifo, sitting on the platform ranked higher in the estimation of mankind than any woman that would #it in the United States senate, Cer- tainly if women were enfranchised in this country aad put upon an equali- ty with the negro -as my friend Miss nthony would have it (laughter.) I don't believe they would be the peers of the t#o women that sat there on that 4th day of March. And when that datiful son was stricken down by an assassin, the last thing he wrote was a lettor to his old mother in Onio, saying to her, be calm, sooner or later Ishall be with you again. And the fortitude and heroism of the wife of James A Garfield as she staid with him in the chamber of sickness and death for weeks and. weoks elicited the deepest sympathyand admiration of the American pegple. Allof us respect that woman, and we all believe her to be the highest typeof womanhood, and honor her just as much as if she had been rsised to the pinnacle of fame into the presidential chair, (Ap- plause). INHERENT RIGHTN, Now my fellowcitizeus, the question befure us here to-night 19, have wo men been degraded? Are they op- oan colonies againat the rule of Gireat Britain was that in Great Britain citi- zenship and government was conferred exclusively upon those who were taxed, but the colonies baing taxed were de- nied representation in government and therefore the fundamental prin- ciple of British rule was violated. Is that the rale of our government? Does taxation really underlie the foundation of this frepublic? I deny that. I eclaim right here that taxation has nothing whatever to do with the system of government under which we live. My friond has amply illus- trated this fact by the doncey story. If donkeys, for instance, had votee men might as well stay at Lome, (Laughter.) As a matter of fact it is manhood suffrsge that governs, 1t is the rule of those who are able to sue- tain and maintain the government and to enforce the laws may under it. What do we mean by the word en- force? It means to compel those who resist the laws to obey. We are told by the gentle sex that in this nine- toonth century force is no longer nec- eseary for government, That when women vote all wars will coase, and all force in gov- orament will become unnecessary. And yet my friend, Miss Anthony, tells us that the potice of New Yoirk wero required i the great strike in Now York to prevent murder and pressed! Is the withholding of the bal- lot from them unjust Is suffcage an inherent and natural right which belongs to them! It is claimed and asserted by the advocates of wo- man suffrage that the declaration of independence, which proclaims all men aro created tree and oqual, and entitled to the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursumt of happiness includes women and their right to protect themselves by being parties to the government, Now X deny that proposition in toto, I aasort in the first place that suffrage is not au inherent right, because any right that s inherent belong to us all at hirth, Life and liberty are such rights, but the right to vote is a privilege coupled with duties which only men can per- form and burdens which woman owing to her organic disabilities cannot aa- sume. If suffcage was inherent it would belong to the foreigner the mo- ment he lands on American soil just #s much as to the native American, Bot how isit? When he lauds upon our soil he s confronted with the fact that the national constitution author- izes and empowers Congress to enact naturalization laws and prescribes the conditions under which he may ac- quire the right of sutfrage. With these conditions he has to comply, His coneont is not asked and wus not ob- tained in the framing of the coustitu- tion. Ia the first placs he is reqaired to tako an cath that he forswuars al- legiauce to any king, prince or poten tate under whose government he was born, and in the next place he sweara he will uphold and defeud this govero- ment against all its enemien, foreiy, or domestie. Docs that imply that i is in coudition simply to promise and not to fullill? Why 1 this oath takeu? 1t is to compel obedience to the lawa aod bind man to defend the goveru- meut in case of domestic insurroc tion or agaiust attacks of fereign ene- mies, It is presumed he is able to oomply with this condition as a requi- site for becoming a voter. Miss Anthony—Don't women also take that oath? Mr. R.—Yes. Bhe does when as a widow she goes to enter a homestoad, bloodshed. Will woman's vote stop riot? Will women ever stop quarrel- ling among themselves ! (Laughter,) Goto the police court of Omaha and you will fiud a majority of complaints made by women against women for slander and for doing all sorts of imaginable mischief that has no pun- ishment by law, Aud now let me define taxation: Taxos are levied upon properiy, not upon men. Property is capital and capital is simply the prodnct of labor, Capital or property is taxed to pay for the cost of protecting men and women in the exerclse of their natural rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of hap- piness, According to the United States suprome court the pursuit of happiness is the right of every person to become the owner of property. In other words the inalienable right which men and women have alike to the pursuit of happiness is their right to enjoy the fruits of their labor. Taxation, therefore, is simply the premium paid by the owners of prop: orty for the/protection of their persons in its use, This premium, or tax, is paid by corporations and alicns s well a8 by individuals, but nobudy con- tonds that corporations and ‘aliens, because they are taxed should have the right to vote, The man or wo- wan who pays & premium to insure his house or personal property against fite 15 by ne means entitled to take Port i the management of the insur- uee company, (Applause.) ~ Tho doeirine T lay down here is that |if taxation meana consent corporations |and nliens are taxed without th |cousout. What part have they in the goverowment? As my friond Miss Anthony remarked the poorest man livitg iu & hovel or hut is the equal in our rapubhic of the man whose income is & willion 8 month, The woman at the wash tub isin every respect equal as far as inulianable rights are con cerned, to the lady in the palace, rock- ing o the gilded rocking chair (ap- plause). Now we come to another (uestion that is WOMEN UNDER THE LAW, These ladies have all come to urge upon you the necessity of an amend- ment to the constitution of Nebraska to eliminate the word male from our laws. They come here to say it is your interest and the interest of both men and women that this ohange shoul be made, and they assert that because they have no voice in our gov- étnment they are degraded, but the laws of this state disprove that they could enjoy more advantage if they wore voters. 1 don't know what the degradation of woman is in the State of New York, and 1 don’t care. If these ladics desire the amelioration of the condition of womenin New York they must go tc New York to do it. I speak for Nebraska, No state has been more generous and liberal, No state 1n this union has given women [ privileges and immunities an the state of Nebraska. Floven years ago when I was a moem- ber of the legislature, we paseed a bill to confer rights on married women, and that bill still remalos on the statute book., I will read itto you, because many of you do not Kuow what protection the laws of Nebraska do give to women. | myseif had for- gotven until recently I cxamined the records to confirm my impreesion that I had voted for it, AN ACT Respecting the rights of marricd woman Be it enacted by the legisleture of the Suate of Neoraska: Secrion 1. That the property, real and personal, which any woman in thia State may own at the time of her marriage, and the rents, issnes, profits or proceeds thereof, and any real, per- sonal, or mixed property which shall come to her by descent, device, or bequest, or the yift of any person ex- capt her husband shall remain her sole and separate property notwithstand. ing her marriage, and not to be sub- ject to the disposal of her husband, or liablo for his debts Now what does this grant so far as married women are concerned! All property, po.sonal and real, belonging to her before marriage can be retained by her atd can be willed away if she sees fit. How is it with men/ When & man marries the moment the mar- riage is solemnizsd the woman be- comes the absolute owner of one-third of his real property. He cannot dis- pose of a toot of real estate without her consent, and cannot mortgage it without her consent. This is a mat- ter of fact and no one will assert that there is anythivg unjust, It is the simple recognition by man of woman’s dependence und man's desire to pro- tect her. Skc. 2. A maaried woman while the marriage relation subsists may bargain, sell and convey her real and personal property, and enter into any contract with reference to the eame i the same manner, to the same extent, and with like effect as a married man may in relation to his real and per sonal property.”’ Well, woman may deed away her property, she may dispose of it at pleasure, sho ray, if she desires, go wto business, she is at liberty o do anything she sees fit with her money or property, and no man can interfere with her without violating the law. Sec. 3. A woman may, while mar- ried, sue and be sued n the same mauner as if she were unmarried. There have been three decisions in our supreme court covering this svc- tion. A woman may sue herown husband. He deeds her his property’ and then she may turn around, buy up his notes, sue him and recover against him, We know women in this city who own property, but when their hus- bands incur debts even for their main- tenance you cannot collect from them, but when & wonian incurs a debt for anything classed as necessary the hus- band hasto pay for them. Further than that, if a married woman signs a promisury note, unless it is secured by real or persoual property, you cannot collect a dollar, I know aninstance here where alady who owns property. endorsed a note with her husband to secure money ex- pended for her. Sho rofused pay- ment and the creditor can't eollect from her, Skc. 4. Any married woman may carry on trade or business and per- form any labor or services on her sole and separate account, and the earnings of any married woman from her trade, business, labor or services shall be her sole and separato property, and may be used and invested by her in her own name. We have heard from this stage the most heart-rending stories, and oceans of tears have been shed in this house over the misery of women that are compelled to give their oarnings to a drunken husband. As @ watter of fact the law gives her every dollar she earns and the husband cau’v get a dollar unless she gives it tohim. It a woman will give her earnivgs to @ drunkard she de- serves o pity. Skc. 6. Any woman who shall have been warried out of this state shall, 1f her husband aftsrwards becomes a res- ident of this state, enjoy all the rights a8 to property which she may have acquired by the laws of any other state, territory or country, or which she may have acquired by virtue of any marrisge contract or settlement made out of this state, Now, what does this imply. We have not only given woman all the rights our men have legislated for them, bat we have given her all the rights they have acquired in other states and other couutries—even iu Europe. Could woman do any more for herself/ 1Is there any woman that would do any more than that / Miss Anthony,—Tes, Mr. R.—1 don't know what she would do unless she would take all the husband has got. (Uprearious laugh- ter.) Miss Anthony.—1I admit that every point of law Nebrasks has enacted is good, It isso wuaca justies giveu to women, and Mr, R sewater has shown us some cases where injustice has been done to the men; but mark you that men made the njustice them- selves —we didn'c do it, Very fow married womon have apy money of their own for inheritance. They have to earn their own living if thewr par- euts die, What I want for women of Nebraska is a law that shall sce that the wife is equal owner, as well as the husband, of the joint earnings of the warriage co partnership. The wife does her share of the work and is en- titled to her share of tae earnings. Mr R.—1don't kvow what woman would do if they had it all their way. There is & case in this city. A gen. tleman who is quite wealthy married a lady who at the time of marriage Was Vi poor, in fact, working for a livinq“{wt that is no disgrace. The husband found it convenient in some business transaction, and perhaps to protect his wife as weoll as himself, to transfer his estate to her. A fow months ago that lady died, and after her death it was discovered that she had willed & mansion worth $25,000 to her son, leaving her girl and hus- band without a home, and leaving the husband at the tender mercy of his boy. Now a few more points about law. Divorea is sometimes as common in Nebraska as in Massachusetts, Our statutes say: A divorce may be decreed, on com- plaint of the wife, when the husbaud, being of wufficient ability to provide suitable maintenance for her, shall grossly or wantonly and cruelly refuse or neglect 8o to do. The court may either during pen- denoy of suit for divorco or after de- cree make such order as to the cus. tody of minor children and their n.aintenance ae it sha!l deem bost for the children. This meane that & woman may ask separation from her husband, and he is compelled to provide her ample sup- port to live without work if ehe seas fit to be idle during her natural life or until she gets another fellow to sup- poxt her, (Laughter,) Our laws provide that tho husband shall enter into bouds that this almony will be paid. How is it with the husband? Suppose the wife has the property, and he has none, Has he any show to compel that woman to give him a dollar of that money even if heis a cripple/ He must take care of himself whether he marries again ornot, (Laughter.) There are mauy cther laws for the protection of woman I have not time t0 enumerate, and many more will be enacted-by men for the welfare of their mothers, sisters, daughters and wives, Every man knows his wife is liable to be a widow, and his sister or daughter mn"{,nm-in unmarried. hat man in the legislature would not use his best judgment to amelior- ate their condition and protect them against everything that wo.ld expose them to wantor discomfort. Let me now call the attention of the ladies who want to be law-makers to some points that recurred to me while lock- ing over the journals of the house of which I was a member, I remembor two orthree bills which created quite astir in the galleries when they were read in the house. One of these was an act to amend Section 6 of an act to punmsh offenses against chastity, mor- ality and decency. The other was an act to restrain bulls frora running at large. (Laughter.) Now, such laws are necessary, and in enacting them the details have to be discussed. As a matter of delicacy and propriety wo- man should not ask rosit in s legislature to discuss such subjects. I maintain if woman gets the ballot and gets into legislatures,thoreis more danger of her being degraded and debased than if they let men do the voting and law- making, Now, let us discuss the QUESTION OF LABOR. We have heard a great deal about laboring men in other states. I want you to understand that we are in Ne- braska all the time. We are not in Massachusetts, New York or Connec- ticut, but we are in glorious Nebras- ka, that gives to woman whatever she could reasonably want or ask for, It is unreasonable for these ladies to come ”upd ask us to change our constitation bucauee women have grievances in other states. I spent four or five days to ascertain definite- ly the wages of women in Omaha and Nebraska, with the following result: COMMON LABOR. Domestic Employment— Nurse girls from $1.50 to $2 50 per week with board, lodging and washing. This is equivalent to from $30 o §35 per month, General bousework, $3.50 to per week with board, lodging and washing, equivalent to from $37 to per month. Cooks from $5to $7 per week with bourd lodging «nd washing, equiva- lent to from $50 to $65 per month, House keepers from $7 to $10 per week with board, lodging and wash. ing, equivalent to from £65 to $80 per month. Washer women chargo $1.25 $L.50 per day with board, equal from €50 to §58 per month. Domestics on farm from $8 to 8§12 per month, including board, lodgmy and washing, to to MECHANICAL, iirls in bookbinderies employed as feeders und folders, earn from $3 to $8 per weck for nino hours’ work Boys in binderies from &3 to $10 per woek for ten hours. Men can do all kinds of work, while women are used only in specitic work, Girls employed in shirt factories earn from 84 to $8 per week. In the laundry from $7 to §10 per week. The shirt hande work by the piece. It they put in their full time they would get better wages, but they often lose several hours a day, or whole days from various causes, The principal woman in the shirt factory earns $50 per month, The male clerks in the shirt factories earn from $46 to §50 per month, Gurls employed In willinery and dressmaking establishments earn from $0 to $20 per week. According to skill, A first-class dressmaker can earn §100 per month, This will com- pare favorably with ekilled and un. skilled labor of men in factories. CLERKS, In dry goods stores the female clerhs receive from $6 to $16 per woek, First olass saleswomen frown $00 to 885 per month, The wages of male clerks in dry gonds and clothing stores range from £20 1o 870 per month, the average being about $50. In the Union Pa clfic land department, oue female clerk receivos and the other § Tae latter hogan at $50 three years o and has been raised to §76 he fe- male clerks in the ticket department receivo the same salarics as wen e ployed at the same desl [Nore--As a goneral th work less hours and do a good lighter work than the men employed in the establishments. | Gurls employed by the telophone company receive from §20 to $32 per month, This class of work requires very little skill, Fomale operators in the telegraph offices receive pay according to ca- pecity, their 'guy ranging from $60 per month, HOTEL WORK, The Paxton house pay roll shows the following wages for men and wo- | who have lived in Wyoming, among|she right to elect sshool boards al- men: Housckeeper %30 per month, lodging snd washing, Assistant housekeeper 20 per month, board, lo: g and washin, Laundress 830 per monch, boar ), 1 ing snd washing, Assistant laundress 820 per month, board, lodging nnd washing, roning xirls X15 per menth, board, lodg- ing avd washing, Linen girls 815 per month, board, lodg ing and washing. Se ubbing girl, 2 lodging and washing, Chambermaids $ lodging snd washing. The pay roll of male employes is as follows: Head waiter 830 per month and board, Arsistant hoad water 830 per month and board, Common waiters $2 board, All the men have to pay for lodging and washing outaide, SCHOOL TEACHERS, We have heard a good deal about school teachers, Now lot us see how they are paid in our public schools. There are sixty-six femalo teachers and five male teachers in the publio schools of Omaha, Tne males are all princip.ls and assistant principals, At the High cchool Profs. Beals and Larned receive §110 each per month, while Mrs. Hill in the same echool earns §120 per month Miss Anthony.—What does she dot Mr, R.—She is assstant principal, the same as Larned and Beals, The average earnings of the female teach- ors is $68 per month, the greater num- bei(45)get 870 per month, but the rales of the board gives the fomale teachers the same privileges as to promotion that they do to 1aale teachers., Prof. Larned began at 885 per month, and Mr. Marshall, principal of the Lake addition school, earned only $56 per month 1wt year while Miss Ayles- worth, his assistant, earned $50 per month. In the county schools the fema'e teachers receive from $30 to $456 per month, and the male teachers $35 to 860, Prof. Points, zuperintendent of Douglas county schools, informs me only the male teachers hiave first-class certificates, the women being teachers of alower grade and not entitled to cqual pay. Now compare the wages of the com- mon laborer who loses on an average two days in the week by bad weather. If he earns $9 a week he does well. Ii ho earns $10 or $11 it is remarkable. Is he as well paid as the domestic—I mean female. We have noChinamen. (Laughter.) Right here let me say. 1 labored for thirteen years in the tel- egraph service and became quite an expert. Daring those thirteen I only lost one month, and 1n all my exper- ience I never met a woman telegrapher that was first-class. Col. Dickey tells me that there are now two women in the United States who are experts and they got the eame pay as the men of the same grade. Complaint is made that women do not get as good pay as telegraphers as men, but the fact is they get all they oarn. It takes a good deal of stamna and it is a great strain on the nervous system for an operator to re- ceive 100 dispatches without a break or stop a8 I have done and as many men can do. Women cannot stand it and why should she get pay for work she cannot do? Talk about women’s wages, I know a you g man who came from Michigan to work in the telegraph service at my instance. He is now employed by the B. & M. ai Friendville. He fs 21 years old and gets only $25 a month. 1f he was not a male voter he would get just as much., I don’t think the B. & M. enquired whether he was a voter when they engaged him, all they asked was whether he could do the service, Ifit had been a woman she could not have earned less than $25 » a month, When corporations or indi- viduals employ a man, do they ever ask whether he is mnaturalized? Do they pay the mac who is a voter more than they pay the man who has no vote? There are men working in the Omaha Smelting Works for $1.50 to $L.70 a day, and I know there is not a woman iu Amecrica that could go down and stand the work for ton days. (Applause.) Not even the Amazon Miss Couzins spoke of the other night. The woman with the iron jaw might try it on, but even sho would give out, (Laughter,) This is the only trouble why woman got loss wages than men. They are not physically the equal, 1t 1s be- causo I would not be a mateh for John C. Heenan; because the race horse is not the equal of the dray horse in hauling heavy loads. When woman changes her physical constitution, it will be time for her to come and ask us to change our state constitution. (Ap- plause and laughrer. ) UTAN AND WYOMING, We have been told that the experi- ment has been tried and that itis a success, In Utah women have voted for fif- teen years—ever since Brigham Young conceived the brilliant idea of creating a monuwly invotes, (Laugh- ter.) And in Wyoming they gave woman the ballot ten or eleven years ago. I was called upon by two lady woman suffragists. One of them was Mrs. Wells and the other Miss Emeline Young, a daughter of Brigham Young Incidentally I asked them this question and wrote it down so I should not misqute them, | said to Mrs, Wells, why is it that the Women of Utah, who are largely in the wmajority out there have not legislated out the blighting cause of polygawy. Surely you have the votes and the power to elect such membersof the legislature | ( and government &3 you want, Mre Wells frankly responded. 1t is be.| cause wo are in favor of polygs We believeit to ba right and re it as a divine ivstitution, and bee we believe it to be better, and we hay baen on both sides. 1 was raised s egationalist in New Kaglan Mrs. Well t I became a M man, and I believe that plurality wives is porfectly right, Here we have women with suffeag. talking about s but what can be more degrading and board, per month, board, per month, board, per month and b concorns on the lower end of Douglas street, and yet women by their owa votes, have kept themselves in that degradation, They have said in sub- stance that they prefer to have one tenth or one fifteenth part of a hus- band rather than remain unmarried, I have seen & number of persons them the right and when the novelty | tng only few will care to_vote unless they are paid for it. them Major" Balcomb, deputy U. S marshal, and Mr. Swartz, of this city, who was U. S marsial. I saw tius morning a letter in The Omaha Repub licau from a reliable gentleman who haslived in Wyoming up to 1878 that fully confirms their reports. Lot me read you thefollowing extract: *Thave had two yearsa' experience in a territory where some women vote, and where all might if they desired to doso: and mnotwithstanding the elo- quence of Gov. Hoyt and others, I tailed to see any beneficial results arie- ing out®f it. I lived in the town of Rawling, on the Union Pacific rail- road, 136 miles west of Laramie, near ly two years. Rawlins at that time contained about 000 people. It esup- ported twelve saloons and one dance house and variety theater. Kvery sa- loon in town was a gambling house, and gambling was carried on openly on Sundays as well as on woek days, | In that town at least the moral influ ence which we are told that woman with the ballot will exert, was not perceptible. Again, I have never seen a country in which poli tica were 80 corcupt &8 in Wyoming Territory., County offices were bought and sold openly, and beor and whisky were freely drank by both men and women at the candi- dates’ expense. I myeelf was witness w a bargain in which the votes of forty women were pledged to a certain candidate for the sumof §40. At the polls I saw a gentleman in a gentle manly way challenge a woman’s vote, he believing that she was not old enough to vote. This woman must certainly have thought that women can flight as well as vote, for she turned and struck the challenger in the face. A male friend of hers took up the fight, and a general molee en sued, in which knives and pistols were freely used. This is universal suffrage in Wyormring as I saw it.” Theee facts may help some one to see that in politics women will not all Aogels any more than men will all be Gods, Now then so far as the experiment has been tried in the territories it does not in my estimation commend itself to the voters of Nebraska, and in my opinion the men of Nebraska who con- sider the welfare of their wives and bear respect for them who love their daughters as those who will marry ever can love them will not yield to the tempting _prophesies of the Jadies who came here to convert us to the idea that universal suffcage will con- fer all the blessings that humanity oraves for the human race. (Loud applause. ) Here Miss Couzens made somo re- marks about a gentleman from Wyom- ing who reports favoring a suffrage and says that only the bad men out there are opposed tu'it. Mr. Rosewater resuming, said: To fortify what I have said about inhdrent rights, there were quite a number of foreigners at the oucvbreak ot the war, especially in Wisconsin, who voted but had not been natur- alized. When the drafis came they appealed to the government on the ground that they were not citizans ‘The decision was made that ha who votes wust fight. Having voted they were subject to the draft, Now sup- pose woman had the ballot and you should decree ‘‘equality before the law.” Could there be equality if woman had all the privileges conferred by law and was exsmpt from the duties and burdens because she could not enforce law or defend the government. There can be no real ¢quality as long as the sexes remsin un, qual. Woman is virtually exempt from jury duty in Wyoming. Miss Anthony—Letme toll you why they are exempt, Mr. Rosewatcr—As a matter of fact women do not sit on juries in Wyom- | ing for the samo resson that cripples cannot serve in the army. Women have sorved on jaries sevoral times, but after they left their babivs at homo squalling and ¢quealivg in the care of their husbands 1t was tnought best for them to forego the pleasure-—-not so much on account of their husbands as their babies. Lot us illustrate this suffrage problem. Suppose Mrs, Gouger poes back tw Iediana carries Indiana for suffrage and 1n- diana confers the proud title of U, 8, senator upon her. Some fine morn- ing the newspapers may mako the fol- lowing announcemen Senator Mra, Gou from her seat in the months, owirg to a nursery engage- ment, (Lzughter aud hieses ) What would become of the United | States senate if thirty-eight female senators should happen to be iu th same predicament! Is our govern- ment to depend upon the neident of birth, or, as Sarah Bernhardt suid, upon these little accidents that may oceur in the best regulated family. (Laughter.) Suppose 8 woman was elected dis- trict judge and she should be com- pelled to stay off the bench for several months, what would become of the criminals held for trial in our jails? Would that be dispensing justicei It is no use to talk, Women aro liable to be mothers, and for that very rea- son governments were instituted by men and upheld by men, WOMAN'S WEAKNESS, Ever since Eve tempted Adam with the forbidden fruit women have been craving for things they canuot get. Take masonry for nstance. There is hardly a woman in this house that would not give a good part of her life if she could look into a lodge over 1he transom or through the key-hole. She would be willing to ride the goat in the state of Eve after she donned the fig leaf to participate in vhe rites. Laughter.) But if she penetrated he lodge, whos Id she ver Simply that the highest obligtion of the mason is the protection of the| crime which is not casily detected and viees ready, but out of 3,000 to 5,000 women in Omaha, only five voted at the last school election, aud yet school government is a very import- ant matter? THE NOSTRUM The agitators of women suffcage going about the country proclsiming that the ballo. in the hands of womer will be a cure for all the ills of human- ity rominds one of Miss Anthon Wizard Oil man or Radway's Resdy Relief, which cures every conceivabla disease, A document prepared by the Woman Suffrage Association, of which 100,000 have been circulated in the State, amserts among other things that if you o woman the ballos it will stop wife beating. Now if any brate of & man comes home and as- saults his wife I think a_rolling pin or a flat iron in the woman's hand will go a good deal fucther than auy ballot. Laughter). Thero are already laws enough to punish wife beaters, They tell us Blackstone in his Eaglish law saveral humdred years ago allowed a man to beat his wife with a stick no bigger than his thumb, L3t a man do that in Nebraska and see what the law provides. But they argue that in the nineteenth century this is & government of opinion not of force, but when the woms wants the wifo beater sent to jail, how is 1t to be done without force, if he resista { Oae of the ladies that spoke on this stage last week expressed groat horror that the police of New York were all men. What could they do with women on the police force ? ABSURDITIES, Mr. Rosewater then dwelt upon the many absurdities that are baing put forth as an argument in favor of suffrage. It is alleged, for instance, that woman suffrage will stop divorce, Now, what causes divorce! Fre. quently diffsrence of opinion between man aud wife, These differences are caused sometimes by bad temper, a vicious tongue or extravagant habits, When women have the vote there will be more ditference of opinion and more cause for divorce. At present candidates soek votes where they can tind them. In the sa- loons, dives and gambling houses. Give women the ballot and they wifl be compelled to seek the merchaut- able class of women who will sell their votes in Nebraska ss they do in Wy- oming. There are 20,000 streetwalk- ers in Chicago, there are 200 aban- doned women in Omaha, and when we talk of purifying politics through such a cesspool you will only make it a great deal mnore corrupt. Let an honest, honorable man run for office and let him be found in contideatial confab with a netghbor’s wife, or his servant girl, it is likely to causea lit- tle domestic circus hohind the curtain, (Laughter ) You object to men getting votes with whisky and beer, but if woman has the bellot, you will have to get votes with candy, ice cream and oysiers, and other little incidentals too nu- merous to mention, The bad will not be contend with anything less than champaign and cigarettes. As General Strickland once said in a campaign, *It is not wmorals, but votes we are fishiog for, and we are bound to get them where wo can find them.” Now, fellow citizens, do ycu want to compol those who are in active pol- itica to go to resorte where no re- spectable man should go to? Do the mothers and wives want their eons and husbands to come in con- tact with a clasa of bad women. Do they want such scenes as take place in Cheyenne, where women are treat— ed to cigarettes and champagne by the politicians?! D you want to make elections more expensive! In Great Brltain only rich men can go to par- linment, and but few of our poor men ean go into congress. By extending the euficage to women you would be only increasing the exponses and adding to the number of voters without benefitting anybody. 1 take it that there are just as good fathers, sons and brothers as there are moth- ers, daughters and sisters, A good deal has been said on this stage about the iyranny of men and oppression of women and about the vices and crimes of men, We hear nothing of the vices and crimes ¢f women, Wheu a woman goes about shopping and picks up « pair of glaves, or a piece of jow- elry, sho becomos a Keptomaniac, but if a man takes ten cents he is a thiet; he is sent tc jail for being a thict. | Day before yesterday The Chicago Tuses contained an account of o girl who stole some jewelry, was detected on her wedding tour snd allowed to t in peao A man uld have been punished, I kuew rl in this town who stole 2 male, lives within a few blocks is now married, with a growing family, re- speotublo and respocted. At the age ot 17 she unhitched a mule from an emigrant team and drove it to her father's farm. It was recovered and ehe was not molested. She was « cted with mulomania. (Laughter.) If a young man had stolen that mule he would have been sent to the peni- tentiary. We are told only men are in the penitentiary, but if you inquire 8t least one-third are there because they gratiied woman's extravagance, They were clerks or merchants living above their 1ncowe, who could not deny their wives silks, diamonds and the like—borrowed or abstracted—were detected and sent . The woman in the case is never heard of. These are facts all should coneider. Women and men both com - mit crime, Man is brutal, will mur der men with kuife or pistol, or com- mit some violence, where woman will perhaps poison or throw vitrol to spoil the face of a rival, or do some pt'!l{ it both sexes have their faults both are moved by the same passions and napulses. | At this point Vo was called | mothers, daughters and 8ls- ters of massons, Thus the highest | of the meaeon is the! rotection of the weaker sex I wife of a Mason on the train from some months ago. She had sbbed of her pocketbook cou- it known she was the 8 she made means to |3 to her home in Nevada. woman are deprived of the right to | James 2 vote some women want it. Give| wears off 1n a year or two as in Wyom- 1 thouy over the s \ining money and tickets. As toon | b v these d ery and degradation, | wife of a Mason, the fraternity at | woma Molodo supplied her the ) slavish than polygamy unless it be the | come to Omaha, and here I procured through Mr. Morse the transportation | j4e, hut we mu It is beosuee | jority of men are mot of the kind that | that to be lov ewater Miss An osewater] has zone ad the same Tu re ex years. ful! ning, suppose all ud in the way of weat is it mot wom- s this world to do her duty to the world b 1 admit land petted is a very good st remenber that the wa- help Lo Gartield was, about whom Mr. Rosewater has spoken 80 eloquently, We must remember that the number of male criminals greatly exceeds those of fewale criminale in and out of majority of the males have wives and chil- Women have | dren who have to sutfer in consequence of prison, and the