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Title: The Woman and the Right to Vote

Author: Rafael Palma

Release Date: September 24, 2008 [EBook #26699]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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Philippine Senate
Fifth Philippine Legislature
First Session
The Woman and the Right to Vote

Address Delivered By

Hon. Rafael Palma
Senator for the Fourth District

In support of Bill No. 23 of the Senate in the sessions held by said
body on the 22d and 25th of November, 1919

Manila
Bureau of Printing
1919

THE WOMAN AND THE RIGHT TO VOTE

Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Senate:

I have seldom felt so proud of being a representative of the people
as now, when it gives me an opportunity to advocate a cause which can
not be represented or defended in this chamber by those directly and
particularly affected by it, owing to the leven of prejudice that the
beliefs and ideas of the past have left in the mind of modern man. The
cause of female suffrage is one sure to strike a sympathetic chord
in every unprejudiced man, because it represents the cause of the
weak who, deprived of the means to defend themselves, are compelled
to throw themselves upon the mercy of the strong.

But it is not on this account alone that this cause has my sympathy and
appeals to me. It has, besides, the irresistible attraction of truth
and justice, which no open and liberal mind can deny. If our action
as legislators must be inspired by the eternal sources of right,
if the laws passed here must comply with the divine precept to give
everybody his due, then we can not deny woman the right to vote,
because to do otherwise would be to prove false to all th