, as a qualification for voting," said Mr.
Pomeroy, "might be entertained in a State where all the people were
allowed to go to school and learn to read and write; but it seems to
me monstrous to apply it to a class of persons in this community who
were legislated away from school, to whom every avenue of learning was
shut up by law."

Some discussion was elicited by a proposition made by Mr. Anthony to
attach to Mr. Willey's amendment a provision excluding from the right
to vote all "who in any way voluntarily gave aid and comfort to the
rebels during the late rebellion."

This was opposed by Mr. Wilson. "We better not meddle with that matter
of disfranchisement," said he. "There are but few of these persons
here, so the prohibition will practically not amount to any thing. As
we are to accomplish a great object, to establish universal suffrage,
we should let alone all propositions excluding a few men here.
Disfranchisement will create more feeling and more bitterness than
enfranchisement."

Mr. Willey's amendment was finally so much "amended" that he could not
support it himself, and it received but one affirmative vote, that of
Mr. Kirkwood.

Mr. Cowan proposed to amend the bill by striking out the word "male"
before the word "person," that females might enjoy the elective
franchise. "I propose to extend this privilege," said he, "not only to
males, but to females as well; and I should like to hear even the most
astute and learned Senator upon this floor give any better, reason for
the exclusion of females from the right of suffrage than there is for
the exclusion of negroes.

"If you want to widen the franchise so as to purify your ballot-box,
throw the virtue of the country into it; throw the temperance of the
country into it; throw the purity of the country into it; throw the
angel element--if I may so express myself--into it. [Laughter.] Let
there be as little diabolism as possible, but as much of the divinity
as you can get."

The discussion being resumed on the following day, Mr. Anthony
advocated Mr. Cowan's amendment. "I suppose," said he, "that the
Senator from Pennsylvania introduced this amendment rather as a satire
upon the bill itself, or if he had any serious intention, it was only
a mischievous one to injure the bill. But it will not probably have
that effect, for I suppose nobody will vote for it except the Senator
himself, who can hardly avoid it, and I, who shall vote for it because
it acco