Page:Democratic Ideals (Olympia Brown).djvu/79

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The Federal Suffrage Association


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"Federal" has been applied to it, thus confusing" it with the Federal law in regard to the election of national officers for which a bill has been in Congress for many years. This confusion of terms has caused much trouble. Mrs. Colby regretted this appropriation of our name, she took pride in the thought that we were not begging for an Amendment to the Constitution but demanding our original rights guaranteed by that great document.

We must continue our work until Congress shall enfranchise the womanhood of America. It is hoped that the Anthony Amendment will be passed at the regular session of the 65th Congress. Should such be the case, and should the act of Congress be ratified by three-fourths of the states, the long struggle for woman's right to vote will close, and the work of the Federal Suffrage Association will be ended. But the report of the effort will ever stand as a most interesting page in the history of the woman suffrage movement, especially as the demand is based on the constitution itself, and recognizes the dignity and authority of the general government. The whole argument illustrates the fundamental principles of our democracy These principles applied would make citizenship rather than any incident of sex or color the qualification for the voter, thus giving to every citizen of the United States a birthright of liberty of inestimable value and crowning him with the majesty of an independent freeman.