f Oregon. I would also be unjust
to our worthy representative in the lower house, Hon. M.C. George,
did I not proudly speak his name in this great connection. Men of
this class are with us, and without regard to party affiliations
we know that they are upon our side. Our governor, our associate
supreme judge for the district of the Pacific, all of these men,
are leading in the grand free way that characterizes the men of
the West in assisting in this work. But we have--alas, that I
should be compelled to say it--a great many men who pay no heed
whatever to this question. Men will be entitled to a voice in this
decision who are not, like members of Congress, the picked men of
the nation or the State, but men, many of whom can not read, who
will have an opportunity to decide this question as far as their
ballots can go. These are they to whom the enlightened, educated
motherhood of the State of Oregon must look largely for the
decision.

This brings me to the grand point of our coming to Congress. Some
of you say to us, "Why not leave this matter for settlement in
the different States?" When we leave it for settlement in the
different States we leave it just as I have told you, because of
the constitutional provisions of our organic law we can not
do otherwise; but if the question were to be settled by the
Legislature of Oregon alone it would be settled now; and I, as a
representative of that State only, would have no need of coming
here; it would be settled just as it has been settled in
Washington Territory; but when we come here to Congress it is
the great nation asking you to take such legislative action in
submitting an amendment to the Constitution of the United States
as shall recognize the equality of these women who are here; these
women who have come here from all parts of the country, whose
constituents are looking on while we are here before you. As we
reflect that our feeblest words uttered before this committee will
go to the confines of this nation and be cabled across the great
Atlantic and around the globe, we realize that more and more
prominently our cause is growing into public favor, and the time
is just upon us when some decision must be made.

Gentlemen of the committee, will you not recognize the importance
of the movement? Who among you will be our s