d that if
they were not at the time heads of families they ought to be, and
probably would be. I say that according to reason, nature, and
religion, the family is the unit of every society. So far as the
ballot is concerned, in my judgment, it represents this
fundamental element of civilized society, the family. It
therefore should be cast by the head of the family, and according
to reason, nature, and religion man is the head of the family. In
that relation, while every man is king, every woman is queen; but
upon him devolves the responsibility of controlling the external
relations of this family, and those external relations are
controlled by the ballot; for that ballot or vote which he
exercises goes to choose the legislators who are to make the laws
which are to govern society. Within the family man is supreme; he
governs by the law of the family, by the law of reason, nature,
religion. Therefore it is that I am not in favor of conferring
the right of suffrage upon woman....

Mr. President, I have stated very briefly that I shall not be
able to vote for the proposition of my honorable friend from
Pennsylvania [Mr. Cowan]. I shall not be able to vote for this
bill if it be a bill to give universal suffrage to the colored
men in this District without any restriction or qualification. I
have been informed that some other Senator intends before this
bill shall have passed in the Senate to propose an amendment
which will attach a qualification, and perhaps, should that meet
the views of the Senate, I might give my support to the bill. I
shall not detain the Senate further now on this subject.

Mr. POMEROY: I desire to say in just a brief word that I shall
vote against the amendment of the Senator from Pennsylvania,
simply because I am in favor of this measure, and I do not want
to weigh it down with anything else. There are other measures
that I would be glad to support in their proper place and time;
but this is a great measure of itself. Since I have been a member
of the Senate, there was a law in this District authorizing the
selling of colored men. To have traveled in six years from the
auction-block to the ballot with these people is an immense
stride, and if we can carry this measure alone of itself we
should be contented for the p