dy for the extirpation of
polygamy in that unfortunate territory. If you choose to repeal
the laws of any territory conferring the right of suffrage upon
women you have the power in congress to do it; but there are no
measures introduced here and none advocated in that direction.
The whole drift of this movement is in the other direction. This
committee is sought to be raised either for the accommodation of
some senator who wants a chairmanship and a clerk, or it is
sought to be raised for the purpose of encouraging a raid on the
laws and traditions of this country, which I think would end in
our total demoralization, I therefore oppose this measure in the
beginning, and I expect to oppose it as far as it may go.

Now let us notice for a moment the case of the District of
Columbia. There are some senators here who have given themselves
a great deal of trouble in the advocacy of the right of suffrage
of the people of the United States, and especially of the colored
people. They put themselves to great trouble, and doubtless at
some expense of feeling, to worry and beset and harry gentlemen
who come from certain States of this Union, in reference to the
votes of the negroes: and yet these very gentlemen have been
either in this House or in the other when the Republican party
has had a two-thirds majority of both branches and has
deliberately taken from the people of the District of Columbia
the right to elect any officer from a constable to a mayor, all
because when the experiment was tried here it was found that the
negroes were a little too strong. There was too much African
suffrage in the ballot-box, and they must get rid of it, and to
get rid of it on terms of equality they have disfranchised every
man in the District of Columbia.

I shall have more faith in the sincerity of the declarations of
gentlemen of their desire to have the women vote when I see that
they have made some step toward the restoration of the right of
suffrage to the people of the District of Columbia. While they
let this blot remain upon our law, while they allow this damning
conviction to stand, they may stare us in the face and accuse us
continually of a want of candor and sincerity on this subject,
but they will address their arguments to me in vain, even as
c