No _person_ shall
be a senator who shall not have been a _citizen_ of the United
States, and an _inhabitant_ of that state in which he is chosen."
But, whatever room there was for a doubt, under the old regime, the
adoption of the fourteenth amendment settled that question forever, in
its first sentence: "All persons born or naturalized in the United
States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the
United States and of the state wherein they reside."
And the second settles the equal status of all persons--all citizens:
"No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the
privileges or immunities of citizens; nor shall any state deprive
any person of life, liberty or property, without due process of
law, nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal
protection of the laws."
The only question left to be settled, now, is: Are women persons? And I
hardly believe any of our opponents will have the hardihood to say they
are not. Being persons, then, women are citizens, and no state has a
right to make any new law, or to enforce any old law, that shall abridge
their privileges or immunities. Hence, every discrimination against
women in the constitutions and laws of the several states, is to-day
null and void, precisely as is every one against negroes.
Pages:
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224