New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-03-18
SEX IN SCHOOL ELECTIONS.
APPLICATION OF TIE NEW ACT.


ELIGIBLE TO ALL SCHOOL OFFICES WITHOUT
EXCEPTION.
The act to make women eligible to Office
and electors in all matters relating to the public
schools Of the State of New-York, which was
signed by Governor Cornell In February, has
received an Interpretation by Attorney-Gen-
| eral Ward which considerably limits It's appli-
| cation. Ii is found that while women may be
elected to any school Office from the highest
| to the lowest, they can vote only in the rural
districts, and in three cities, where school OFF,
GERS are elected at district meetings. There is
also the general limitation Of suffrage to women
owning or hiring real estate
WOMENS SUFFRAGE AND EDUCATION.
WOMEN LOSING THEIR ADMIRATION FOR THE NEW
ACT-A LETTER FROM ATToRNEY-GENERAL
WARD INTERFERING THE FORCE OF THE ACT
AND LIMITING ITS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
ROME AND KINGSTON THE ONLY CITIES IN
WHICH WOMEN CAN VOTE
IRON THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE.l
ALBANY. March 16.-"Ahi ladies you have come
in at a very opportune moment" said Governor Cor
nell on the morning of February IL. as several
ladies were ushered into his in the old Capitol.
1t was the morning after the Governors Tecep-
ton in the Executive Mansion; and these ladies
who had been present at the entertainment had
called to bid him farewell before departing from the
city. On the table before the Governor there
rested a large document in manuscript which
he had just been reading. He pointed to-
ward it and said: This is an
act passed yesterday by the Legislature making
women eligible for election school officers aud
giving them the right to vote at school meetings.
You can be witnesses to my signature-I have just
L. i 1o,- n~ffr
inally the measure had merely provided that
women should be eligible to election school Off
GERS. following recommendation made by Gov
kernOr Cornell in his annual message In the Leg
stature an amendment of the bill had been made
also permitting them to vote ct school meetings.
The amendment was hailed 10y the woman suffrage
party as evidence that the State OF New-York was
at last entering upon the path that would lead to
the fulflmen of their hopes in all electoral matters.
Steadily, however, since the bill became n law the
value OF the concession has dwindled in their eyes
II has been discovered that only very small num-
Der of women can take advantage Of its provisions.
This fact was first made apparent at Rochester.
the home Of Miss Susan B. Anthony, the iueprcssi-
bic champion Of the womaus rights cause, who has
many followers in that city. Soon after
the law passed q charter election was
held in Rochester at which School Commission
ers were elected. Many women desired to vote at
the election but their right TO do so was disputed.
Finally one of the inspectors OF election wrote to
Governor Cornell and asked him to give an opinion
on the law The Governor sent tie letter to Attor-
ney~General Ward Tat officer subsequently gave
an opinion which ciectually ruled ont al tho
women OF Rochester from voting. 1t was as follows:
ArToRNEY-GENTRAL WARDS OPINION.
OFFICE OF TIE ATrorSEy-GENERA
JAMES A. JorpAv. ce7.. Rochester. NJ.
Your letter OF the 21st inst. 10 his Excel
question whether women have the right 20 vote for
SchoO. Commissioners ~ the approaching charter cleo
ton in the CITY of och stcr under the aie act OF the
Legislature. has beeu referred TO this office for reply
by "tae ate act Of the Lesi,aturc, uudol5ttD You
refer to Chepter9, o the Laws OF 1850 This act IS
in the following words;
SECTION l. 40 person shan be deemed % be INELIGIBLE to
who has the other qualification required
SEC . This act shall take eject Immediately.
Il will observed that by the terms Of the act while
oonfnec to any particular class Of such officers, but
tends all school officers The right TO vote imed 10
particular OCCASION, namely, al any school meeting
- o, "3 D,eet,n ms used IN the act Inc intention Of
tnn e.1sl, fre MAY hr fete mined by The
general sfatues an rel ton 20 common schools aud pub
itc inst ricou I'm com ectou wlthtac act I'm question
applying the familiar rule 10 the construction II stat
u,s That fO he purpose Of arriving al tue legislative
incnt l acts on the Same subject matter are 10 ho
taken together and examined Do order 90 arrive al ihc
result The rule is iersey stated 10 The words Of an en-
neuf English iust When there are different statutes
in yari mGtfTd though made az different times or even
ex1,red apd "a referring 90 each other tAoy shall
iaFen together as one system ana as explanatory Of
each other"
81 school meetings constantly apptaiiuG-ncgh borhood
meetings aud school district mcctu@,. TIE qualified
voters when assembled ~ these enoibood or school
movers 70 be exercised by IN pgiy OF the voters pres
emf TO appoint presiding officer; I" CHOOSE
clerk ana trustees ana M Sdc"icesi anu 'ho district
meeting may by such majority vote clerk, oucOr
three trustees collector librarian. designate sites
scnoo houses, vote taxes. etc.
It Is manifest that these tho school meetings re-
ferred the late act But scnoo! commissioners
not among the Class Of officers elected at such school
mceiinGs In most cases ticy are elected bY the quail
geneIay liouEhoG ano 1a ,i , % wiz a.
In the City OF Rochester, b. Its charter, there
as many School Commissioners 10 be elected as there
wards ID the city, and while they are undoubtedly
be- cIty officers. They are elected. not at school
lime wlih various other city officers anu therefore, OF
opinion hat he provisions Of the statute IN question,
coufeuing upon women TIE right TO vote, have no app
cation to votes cast for School Commissioners
As tho late act does not provide ior oonierring upon
women the right TO vote for school Commissioners, II i
not necessary to consider at present whether IN case II
did so provide such provisions would or would not be- In
contravenuon OF Article 2, Section L OF the Con.
sufuon Of this state, defining tho qualifications Of
voters and expressly limiting tho right to vote for OIL
be properly assumed that the L. sature passing this
act confined grant OF night 10 vote to the occasion Of
school meetings, gu account OF this constitutional dh-
Guilty standing In the way OF extending 10 women "a
wider right Of suffrage by statute Very respectfully,
HAMILTON WARD. Attorney G neral
CITIES IN WHICH WOMEN CANNOT VOTE.
II this opinion Of the Attorney-Gencral is de-
clared 10 be good law by the Courts, the women in
none of the cities Of the State, except perhaps
three, can vote for school oficers-as in none OF
them are school meetings held in The ordinary
sense of the word. In the following cities, in the
opin. on Of Mr. Gllmour the Superintendent Of Pub-
lie instruction. women cannot possibly vote under
the Attorney General opinion nothing thar has
a likeness TO "schoo meeting" is held in them:
Albany, Auburn. BInghamtOn, Brooklyn, Bihalo.
Cohoes Elmra. Hudson. Lockport, Long Island
CITY, New-York, Newburg Ogdensburg Oswego,
Poughkeepse, Rochester, Schenectady Syracuse,
Troy. Utica and WATERFOWL.