On Women's Right to Vote
by Susan B. Anthony
Friends and fellow citizens: I stand before you tonight under indictment for the alleged- crime of having voted at the
last presidential election, without having a lawful right to vote. It shall be my work this evening to prove to you that in
thus voting, I not only committed no crime, but, instead, simply exercised my citizen's rights, guaranteed to me and
all United States citizens by the National Constitution, beyond the power of any state to deny.
The preamble of the Federal Constitution says:
"We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic,
tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to
ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens : but we, the whole people, who
formed the Union. And we formed it, not to give the blessings of liberty, but to secure them , not to the half of
ourselves and the half of our posterity, but to the whole people- women as well as men! And it is a downright
mockery to talk to women of their enjoyment of the blessings of liberty while they are denied the use of the only
means of securing them provided by this democratic-republican government-the ballot.
. indictment formal charge of a crime
2. alleged: stated without proot