Constitutional amendments
Smith, Gerrit, 1797-1874
Temperance
United States --Politics and government]]>

In this letter, Smith details his support for woman's suffrage, refuting arguments that the framers of the Constitution intended to deny this right. He also discusses his support for the temperance movement: "Then there are two reforms with which the Republican party cannot afford to delay identifying itself. On of them is the recognition in woman of all the political rights exercised by man. The other is the arresting of the dramshop ruin of our country by no longer licensing or suffering the dramshop, that great manufactory of all sorts and sizes of criminals."]]>
Memorials (Legal)
United States. Constitution. 14th Amendment
Walker, Mary Edwards, 1832-1919
Women--Suffrage--New York]]>

Her speech to Congress in 1873 affirms this belief and requests that they pass a law that would simply protect women and leave them free to exercise their rights at the polls on election days. The proposed bill is included on page two.]]>
Memorials (Legal)
United States. Constitution. 14th Amendment
Walker, Mary Edwards, 1832-1919
Women--Suffrage--New York
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citizenship, guaranteed in by the Constitution through the Fourteenth Amendment. Since women were citizens, they already had the right to vote. She never accepted the idea that women needed another constitutional amendment to vote, and referred to this as her "crowning constitutional argument."

Her speech to the Senate in 1873 affirms this belief and requests that they pass a law that would simply protect women and leave them free to exercise their rights at the polls on election days. The proposed bill is included on page two. At the bottom of page two is a handwritten note: "Introduced in the Senate...Jan. 16th 1873"]]>
"The Crowning Constitutional Argument"]]>