vileges and Elections, of which he was chairman, that they might
receive proper attention and that he might report favorably upon
them. In the discussion on the Pembina bill in 1874, Senator
Morton made an earnest speech in favor of woman's enfranchisement.
In his premature death our cause lost one of its bravest champions.

Senator Wadleigh's report called forth severe criticism; notably
from the _New Northwest_ of Oregon, the _Woman's Journal_ of
Boston, the _Inter-Ocean_ of Chicago, the _Evening Telegram_ and
the _National Citizen_ of New York. We quote from the latter:

The report is not a statesman-like answer based upon fundamental
principles, but a mere politician's dodge--a species of
dust-throwing quite in vogue in Washington. "Several millions of
voters totally inexperienced in political affairs"! They would
have about as much experience as the fathers in 1776, as the
negroes in 1870, as the Irish, English, Italians, Norwegians,
Danes, French, Germans, Portuguese, Scotch, Russians, Turks,
Mexicans, Hungarians, Swedes and Indians, who form a good part of
the voting population of this country. Did Mr. Wadleigh never
hear of Agnes C. Jencks--the woman who has stirred up politics to
its deepest depth; who has shaken the seat of President Hayes;
who has set in motion the whole machinery of government, and who,
when brought to the witness stand has for hours successfully
baffled such wily politicians as Ben Butler and McMahon;--a woman
who thwarts alike Republican and Democrat, and at her own will
puts the brakes on all this turmoil of her own raising? Does
Senator Wadleigh know nothing of that woman's "experience in
politics"?

"Quite dependent upon the other sex." It used to be said the
negroes were "quite dependent" upon their masters, that it would
really be an abuse of the poor things to set them free, but when
free and controlling the results of their own labor, it was found
the masters had been the ones "quite dependent," and thousands of
them who before the war rolled in luxury, have since been in the
depths of poverty--some of them even dependent upon the bounty of
their former slaves. When men cease to rob women of their
earnings they will find them generally, as thousands now are,
capable of self-care.[36]

"Military duty." When women hold the ballot there wi