more
genial, but because our Government is established upon the basis
of equal rights for every human being. The child of the poor man
becomes educated, he acquires property, he becomes a member of
the commonwealth, he does his own thinking, and, thank God, his
own voting, too.

But the Democratic party has lost power. To-day the Republicans
control three-fourths of the States of this Union. There was a
reason for these reverses. Before the abolition of slavery, a
certain race was denied the advantages of the Democratic
principle. It was a "white man's government." In the course of
time the inevitable collision came. Slavery was abolished, and
the Republican party attempted a new application of the
Jeffersonian principle. It demanded suffrage for the negro and
the Chinese. The principles of justice again prevailed. The
sentiment of liberty came to the support of the Republican party;
manhood suffrage is forever fixed in the Constitution of the
country, and to-day every man, whether learned or ignorant, rich
or poor, white, yellow, or black, whether he can read the English
language or not, is by the Constitution of the United States
forever made a voter. Now, ladies and gentlemen, every argument
through which an extension of the suffrage has been already
accomplished, applies with still greater force in the case of
women. The extension of the suffrage to woman, will be the last
crowning step in political progress, the final application of the
principles of Christianity and human brotherhood to the political
structure.

We do not advocate a new principle. We only desire to make a
wider application of our admitted American principles. That
application is sure to be made. I do not know what party is going
to accomplish it, but this widening of the political basis is as
certain as the rising of the sun or the flowing of the tide. Woe
be to the party that works against it! I know not whether the
Republicans or the Democrats, or the good men of both parties, or
an altogether new party, will take it up; but this I do know,
that the political party which takes up woman suffrage, and
unfolds its banner to the breeze, holds in its hand the key to
political success on this continent.

I appeal to every man and woman in this audience to go t