it now is for women, and it is
none too high. Let it grow the more elevated by our growth in
spirituality, by every aspiration which we receive from the God
whence we draw our life and whence we draw our impulses of life.
Let our standard remain where it is and be more elevated. Yours
must come up to match it, and never will it until we are your
equals politically. So it is for men, as well as for women, that I
make my appeal.

I know that there are some gentlemen upon this committee who, when
we were here two years ago, had something to say about the rights
of the States and of their disinclination to interfere with the
rights of the States in this matter. I have great sympathy with
the gentlemen from the South, who, I hope, do not forget that they
are representing the women of the South in their work here at the
national capital. Already some Northern States are making rapid
strides towards the enfranchisement of their women. The men of
some of the Northern States see that they can no longer accomplish
the purposes politically which they desire to accomplish without
the aid of the women of their respective States. Washington is
the third Territory that has added women to its voting force, and
consequently to its political power at the national capital
as well as its own capital. Oregon will undoubtedly, as her
representative will tell you to-day, soon add its women to its
voting force. The men who believe, that each State must be left
to do this for itself will soon find that the balance of power
between the North and South is destroyed, unless the women of the
South are brought forward to add to the political force of the
South as the women of the North are being brought forward to add
to the political force of the North.

This should not be acted upon as a partisan measure. We do not
appeal to you as Republicans or as Democrats. We have among us
Republicans and Democrats; we have our party affiliations. We, of
course, were reared with our brothers under the political belief
and faith of our fathers, and probably as much influenced by that
rearing as our brothers were. We shall go to strengthen both the
political parties, neither one nor the other the more, probably.
So that it is not as a partisan measure; it is as a just measure,
which is our due, not because of what