What argument is susan b. anthony making in the passage?
but is urged, the use of the masculine pronouns he, his and him, in all the constitutions and laws, is proof that only men were meant to be included in their provisions. if you insist on this version of the letter of the law, we shall insist that you be consistent, and accept the other horn of the dilemma, which would compel you to exempt women from taxation for the support of the government, and from penalties for the violation of laws.
. . the same is true of all the criminal laws: "no person shall be compelled to be a witness against himself."
the same with the law of may 31st, 1870, the 19th section of which i am charged with having violated; not only are all the pronouns in it masculine, but everybody knows that that particular section was intended expressly to hinder the rebels from voting. it reads "if any person shall knowingly vote without his having a lawful right," c. precisely so with all the papers served on me-the u. s. marshal's warrant, the bail-bond, the petition for habeas corpus, the bill of indictment-not one of them had a feminine pronoun printed in it; but, to make them applicable to me, the clerk of the court made a little carat at the left of "he" and placed an "s" over it, thus making she out of he. then the letters "is" were scratched out, the little carat under and "er" over, to make her out of his, and i insist if government officials may thus manipulate the pronouns to tax, fine, imprison and hang women, women may take the same liberty with them to secure to themselves their right to a voice in the government.
a: male citizens created the laws to secure the rights of men, so legal reform is required to secure women’s rights.
b: women are often punished for committing criminal acts that are pardoned when committed by men.
c: women are judged under laws supposedly written only for males, so they are entitled to the same rights as males.
d: the court judge modified the original documents to arrest and try anthony unfairly.