Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1888-01-13
WEDNESDAY, Jan. IL.

Council met as usual all the MEM
bers present except Mr.. Cooke.
Mr.. Sharpstein's bill, as amended
by the committee, providing for the
manner of commencing civil actions,
passed.
Mr.. Conveys bill repeating the sec
ton of law requiring ballots to be of Il
specific size, passed.
Mr.. Sharpstein's bill amending code
in relation to the admission OF attor-
neys, passed.
Also, the bill relating to the election
of Justices of the Peace.
Committees substitute for bill Gre
ating the office of Private Secretary
for the Executive, appropriating ST.,
600 per year for incidental expenses,
passed.
Mr.. Convey introduced bill to APP
propriate $500 for expenses incurred
by Adjutant General O'Brien in or
organization OF the militia, which was
referred to the committee on Military
Affairs.
Mr.. Lewis presented IA substitute
for the bill requiring the payment of
wages in lawful money, which was re-
ferred to the Judiciary Committee.
At ii o'clock, the special order, con-
sideration of the woman suffrage bill,
was called. The bill of Mr.. White
accords the ballot but exempts women
from jury duty.
Mr.. Lewis introduced substitute,
submitting the question to the people
at Il special election, June 9Th.
Before the discussion began, Gov.
Semple, accompanied by Chief Justice
Jones, Judges Turner, Allyn and
Langford, Secretary Owings, Territor-
ial Auditor Reed and Treasurer Nc
Micken visited the Council chamber.
The Council took a recess of fifteen
minutes to greet the visitors.
A couple of dozen ladies and half
hundred men occupied the lobby dur
ing the discussion.
The principal speech on this ques-
ton was made by Mr.. Lewis, in sup
port of the substitute and against the
granting of the privilege by legislative
enactment. He said that he fully real
lied he was on the unpopular side of
the question, but that sense of duty
impelled him to make a sacrifice of his
personal political prospects on the altar
of duty. Defining what was meant
by the word citizen" in the Organic
Act, the class upon whom authority
had been conferred to the Legislature
for extending the elective franchise,
he traced from Aristotle down the
meaning that had attached to that
term, showing that it had been con-
fined exclusively to the male sex. He
held that any act of the Assembly
that placed any other construction on
the word would be illegal, and that the
law-making power should not impose
upon the courts duty of declaring
unconstitutional an act plainly in con-
flict with the fundamental law. He
held that wherever equality of political
rights had been accorded to woman, it
had led to her degradation, and cited
the government of the Isle of Man
as an instance in point. He de-
clared that the people had never
had an opportunity to express
their preference for the law, and
that its re-enactment would be to vast
ly increase the power of the church in
politics. He likewise held that the en-
reimbursement of women would mater
tally retard the admission of Washing
ton as State, and in support of this
position read letters from Congress-
men to that effect. Mr.. Lewis speech
was brilliant oratorical effort, and a
mastery argument for his side of the
question.
Mr.. Convey said that he wanted a
more modern definition of the word
citizen than that given by the gentle
man from King The scope of citizen
ship had been constantly charging
under the stimulus of civilization and
progress.
President Thompson (Mr. Lewis in
the chair) said that he had been elected
on the woman suffrage issue, and that
very few of the members of the present
Assembly would have been elected had
it been known that they were opposed
to that principle. He claimed that
the question had been practically be-
fore the people and endorsed four
times. He read from the Democratic
platform Of 1884 and the Republican
creed of 1886, showing that both par
ties were in favor of the ballot for wo-
men while they held its power in their
hands.
Mr.. Roeder said that whatever
might be his personal feelings or opin-
ions on the subject he realized the fact
that large majority of his constitu-
ents were favorable to the measure,
and he would be disappearing them
by failing to support it with his VOTE
Mr.. White claimed that the Four
tenth Amendment clearly defined the
status of citizenship, and that the land
laws recognize the term citizen as
broad enough to cover the title of wo-
men to entry of land. He was op-
posed to submitting the question to
the people, because the proposition
came only from opponents of the
measure, and if even a majority of the
people denied the privilege, the re-
mainder, in justice, were entitled to a
participation in duties for the conse-
quences Of which all were liable. He
claimed that the Legislature could
not delegate legislative authority to
the people, as was proposed by Mr..
Lewis.
! The roll being called on adoption of
the substitute offered by Lewis, those
voting aye were: Barker, Convey,
Lewis and Sharpstein. Those voting
no were Foster, Gabel, Hawley, Roe
der, Steele, White and Thompson; alb
sent Cook.
| The question being on the passage
of the amended bill offered by White,
resulted: Ayes-Foster, Gabel, Convey,
Hawley, Roeder, Steele, White,
Thompson. Those voting no were:
Barker, Lewis, Sharpstein; absent,
Cook. So the bill passed.
Council then adjourned.
HOUSE.
In the House, Reid presented re-
monstrance from 112 ladies of OLYMPIA