, 1888-01-26
WOMAN SUFFRAGE.
Full Text OF the Bill Passed by tho
Washington Legislature.


Washington Legislature.
The following is the bill passed w
the Legislature Of Washington terri
tory, and signed by the governor,
granting women over twehty.one
years the elective franchise:
SECTION /. That all citizens OF the
United States, male aud female, nhov"
the agc Of twenty-one years, who shall
have resided six months in the terri
tory, sixty days in the county and
thirty days in the precinct, and none
others, shall be entitled to vote at any
election in this territory; provided,
that no Officer, soldier, seaman, mari
ner or other person in the army or
navy, or attached to troops in / ser
vice OF the United States, shall be
allowed to vote at any election in this
territory by reason OF being in service
therein, unless SAID territory is and
has been for the period of six months
his domicile; and, provided further,
that nothing in this act shall be so
Construed rs to make IL lawful for wo.
m n to serve ns Jurors.
SEC. 2. That all acts and parts OF
acts in conflict herewith be and the
same are hereby repealed.
SEC. 3. This act shall take effect
and be in force rom and after it's pas
sage and approval of the iovernor.
We take the law from the Spokane
REVIEW, and il it be correct as printed
it is intended TO exempt women from
jury duty, us the last sentence is GER
tainly wOrded that way. But this may
bc IN error of the printer, who usually
blunders in the place wher the MT
most circumspection should be
observed. 1t is our impression that
"lawful" should read "unlawful."
Comments by the press on the bill
when IL was before the legislature led
us to believe il ulso i tended to invest
women with the right to sit on juries
II women are made "citizens" they
must he granted alb the rights of men,
and not be restricted to the privilege
Of voting and holding Office. Citizen
ship implies all the duties under our
goveInment,and no. qualification" can
stand the test of an intelligent court.
The law, while it ia intended to be
general is nevertheless in favor of a
class, and therefore special, which is
expressly prohibited in the territories
by an oct Of congress passed last year.
While II applies generally to the terri
tory, il does not cover the full intent
and meaning of u general law. because
il legislates exclusively for the women,
or in other words, the male-females.
This will be developed in due time as
the law is applied, ifit is not decided
unconstitutional by the courts; for
Washington territory to day is not the
Washington territory Of four years
ago. The territory is filling up with
live, energetic men men of intelligence,
whose refined families will shrink
from contact with the rough surround
ings Of politics. Here and there pep
chance a male-female may bob up to
nnsex herself and proclaim, like DR..
Walker, that she wears the breeches,
bu: in the main the law will become
obnoxious of its own accord and AS
society is formed. The domestic circle
cannot be i; vaded by the political
hucksters to drag the mother away
from the cradle, the maideL from her
lover, or the lady from her parlor to
mix in the filthy pool or serve AS
jurors in criminal cases before the bar.
TO such vain creatures as compose the
Washington Legislature, and to Gov.
Semple, who would drag woman from
her high estate, nOlens, volens, and
yoke her with duties for which God
neither intended her, nor nature fitted
her, the idea is to degrade WOMAN
hood, instead Of elevating and en-
nobling it. There is u great amount
OF genuine satisfaction in freely ac-
knowledging the real empire which
woman holds over our hearts and
minds, our thoughts and actions, our
motives, hopes. and ambitions---and
We may add, we trust, without
offending any Of the fair ones, our
pockets. No one will deny her right
to love us and to be loved in return,
(ndeed, we take no small delight in
having her exercise that prerogative in
our individually case,) or her right to
wheedle and caress us, and to draw as
well upon our affections as upon our
bank accounts; to be sheltered and
protected by us, and yet in her own,
insidious, charming way, to rule and
govern us just as automatically ~ she
pleases, so long rs she sways the scep-
ter Of and act as the true woman, and
does not so far forget herself as to be-
come Transformed into sort of moral
hybrid, with u perverted ambition to
enter upon the hard, and to her de-
grading duties Of mans sphere, for
which her tender aud susceptible ma
ture so entirely units her. and impa-
tient Of wearing the modest, but cap
tivating diapery, both of mind and
person, that are native and appropriate