voters but they can't vote. Voting is a
privilege and not a natural right, and must be conferred; it has
clearly been conferred by the supreme law of the land, therefore women
can not vote. A little voting is a good thing, but too much voting is
injurious to public interests, as is instanced in our large cities. If
women vote, there would be more voting than at present, consequently
women are not entitled to vote. The Constitution gives women the right
to vote. The organic law of the district does not. The latter, of
course, is void where it conflicts with the former, therefore can not
women vote. Congress has clearly recognized woman's right to the
ballot, wily or nily. But the ballot must come to the woman, not she
to the ballot, or else the law is violated. Congress must go further,
and point out to women how the ballot must come to her, or else will
she not be given Christian reception at the polls who willfully seek
to vote thereat. Therefore can not women vote.

_Second Judge._ Women are men, but men are not women. The former
include the latter, but the latter won't be included. That is to say,
the law regards men as women but not males as females. It is not every
right which can be exercised, as society will not admit of it. The
law, which is above society, says women shall vote, but society has
not acceded, and hence this court can not interfere. Therefore, I
concur that women can not vote.

_Third Judge._ I do not know but that the better way would have been
for Congress to have done otherwise than it did. Why it did as it did
is a question. But it did. It might have done more, or less, or both.
It might have done otherwise. In either case it would have done so.
And then it would have been. But as it is, it is perhaps as well as if
it should have been. Therefore can not women vote.

_Plaintiffs' Attorneys._ But is this law?

_The Three Judges._ Verily is't the law of the Supreme Court of the
District of Columbia.

This parody was written by J. W. Knowlton, son-in-law of Mr. Riddle.

[167] A report of this trial will be found in the California chapter.

[168] WHEREAS, Complaint has this day been made by ---- on oath before
me, William C. Storrs, commissioner, charging that Susan B. Anthony,
on or about the fifth day of November, 1872, at the city of Rochester,
N. Y., at an election held in the eighth ward of the city of Rochester
aforesaid, for a representative in the Congress of the United States,
did