Show EQUAL SUFFRAGE There appears to be very little op positon among the members of the convention and also in the committee having tht matter in charge to the proposition to give the women of Utah the right of suffrage The Democratic party is pledged to woman suffrage in the new state unequivocally and without any ambiguity or attempt at evasion The Republican party is also pledged io it in a weak and watery and shifty way But it cannot go back on the proposition without violating its Understood if doubtfully expressed declaration It is singular condition of affairs which exists on this question in the State of Massachusetts The lower House of the legislature has refused to pass a woman suffrage bill And yet the majority of women citizens over men citizens In that state is remarkably re-markably great It has not been for lack of effort on the part of the advocates advo-cates of equal suffrage that this denial has come They have appeared many times and on many occasions but have met with failure The first step in the formation of the American Women Suffrage Association was taken at Boston Aug 5 1S69 The call for the convention was signed by Lucy Stone T W Higginson Caroline iL Severance Sever-ance Julia Ward Howe and George H VIbbert Mr Higginson and Mrs Howe have seen nearly a generation pass away and the cause except a I limited school franchise is as far back as It was then The opposition to the equal suffrage movement in New York where the proposition pro-position to present it to the vote of the people has been defeated like that In Massachusetts has come chiefly from Republican sources One of the principal arguments 9 agdinst woman suffrage in both states is that the women do not want it or are utterly Indifferent about it That is to say the women who do want to exercise the rights of that citizenship which they hold in common with men are to be debarred from it because some other women do not want It or do not care about it That there Is no justice or sound reasoning in that must be clear to every I ev-ery thinking person There are millions mil-lions of male citizens who stay away from the polls Is that any reason why others should be deprived of the right to vote The women who do not want to have the duties of the elective franchise Imposed upon them need not worry about it There is no law or rule or custom which makes voting vot-ing compulsory It is singular that any woman should objeot to obtaining all the liberty that jls possible to the citizen Opposition II from women to equal suffrage must proceed from that spirit of contravl ness which often actuates both sexes If a sensible woman does not wish to vote herself she ought not to play dog in the manger and try to prevent others of her sex from enjoying the liberties which they earnestly desire and to which justice entitles them We can understand why there Is hostility to woman suffrage In the South where there are so many negroes ne-groes not sufficiently educated to fi them for the responsibility of a voice in governmental affairs The increase of the colored vote naturally provokes a dread among the white folks and therefore it is not surprising that It should be very unpopular to advocate anything that Would lead to that undesirable I un-desirable condition But in Massachusetts I Massa-chusetts the seat of learning and culture cul-ture with Its preponderance of women I citizens where anything that would favor the cause of woman ought to be promoted it is a marvel that equal suffrage should be so persistently refused re-fused That state sends Senator Hoar repeatedly to the seat of government to represent it in the Upper Honso and he Is one of the staunchetjt woman suffragists suf-fragists in the land i In Utah where women citizens en Jpyed J the right ofsuffrage for bout seventeen years it TwH be simply an > ro < act of justice to restore It For equal reasons why the restrictions that were for a time imposed on a portion of the male citizens have been taken off apply ap-ply in the case of the ladies who have been deprived of their voting privileges privi-leges Let the convention not hesItate on an equal suffrage plank in the Utah Constitution i |