Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1889-06-14
Woman Suffrage.
The POsition,J udge'EIenry will take
in the Convention.

OLYMPIA. W. l., June ii, 1889.
MRs. Il. n. Mccoy,
Vice President y. W. :. A.,
Tacoma. W. 4.
MADAM Il am in receipt of yours of
the 10th inst, which is as follows:
TACOMA, W. T., June 10, 1889.
/ Hon. FRANCIS HENRY,
Delegate Elect.
SIR The most important question
to be decided 10y the Constitutional
Convention is that relating to the cleo
tive franchise.
| The Democratic party has always
claimed to be a party of the people.
In no way can it carry out this claim
to a logical conclusion better than by
endorsing woman suffrage, thus extend
ing to all citizens the equal protection
/ of the ballot.
The Democratic party aided in the
several legislatures to grant women
the exercise OF their rights of suffrage,
withheld from them by force, and, in
Territorial convention. endorsed such
action and pledged itself to sustain
woman suffrage. The pledge has not
been withdrawn, nor could it honor
ably be.
Will you, as true Democrat, vote to
sustain the honor of the party by en-
bodying i'll the Constitution caual
rights for all citizens, or will you favor
II continuance of the present system of
class legislation?
An early answer will greatly oblige,
Yours very truly,
(MRs) Il. n. Mccoy,
Nice-Prcsident n. w. :. A."
Answering your first proposition or
premise, in which you state that, d" the
most important question To be de-
cided by the Constitutional Conven-
ton is that relating to the elective
franchise" | will say that in my
Judgment, " the elective franchise" is a
question that will have no importance
whatever before the Convention. In
fact, that it cannot properly he a ques-
ton before that body, whose powers
will be derived from those who were
electors of the Territory on May 10th,
J 1889. In other words, ] believe that
the whole governmental power resided
then, as il does now, in the qualified
voters who elected the delegates to the
coming Convention, and that those
delegates have no more authority, upon
their own motion, to extend the cleo
tive franchise, than they would have
to restrict it, or To say that there
should be no elective franchise what
ever. This is, in my view, matter
strictly within the discretion of the
electors rs now constituted; they may
change the qualifications of electors as
they see fit they might, SO far as | am
informed, and believe, enact a law that
no man shall vote who is not above the
age of fifty years that no single man,
or that no married man shall vote; or
that none but women shall vote: none
ef which things they have rs yet done,
and probably never will do.
Of the power of the people to give
the right of suffrage To women, or any
other class of citizens who do not now
possess it, there is no question. As to
the policy of giving it to them there is
question-and that is a question
upon which !, at least, as delegate, do
not consider myself clothed with any
discretionary power whatever. The
question of woman suffrage was not
raised during the canvass for election
OF delegates in the district which /
partly represent, and so far as l am in
formed it was not made an issue in
any other district in the Territory
and therefore, speaking for myself. will
say that as q member Of the COnven-
ton l will, to the extent of my ability,
oppose any proposition to change in
any manner whatsoever by Constitu-
tional enactment, the qualification of
electors from what they were on May
18th, 1889, just as would oppose and
fight against the abridgement of any
of my rights in the Convention as the
representative of those who sent me
there.
To the remaining portion of your
letter which mainly refers to the duty
of the Democratic party upon general
principles, and the pledges of its parti
san platforms to sustain woman suf-
frage, have to say, that have made
up my mind that when ! take my seat
as delegate in the Constitutional
Convention, l shall leave my partisan
politics behind me, and will neither adj
vocate or oppose any proposition what
ever because it is advocated or opposed
by one party or the other, or consider
myself bound by the pledges or plat
forms of the Democratic party made at
any time or place.
have said, however, and by that
statement | will abide, that in view of
the known sentiments of large num-
Der of our people upon that question,
! will, as delegate, favor the submits
sion of a separate clause giving the
right of suffrage to women otherwise
qualified, to become part of the Con-
stitution in case it is ratified by ma
jority of the legal voters. Ii such Il
proposition is submitted to the people,
which am confident it will be, there
will then be ample time for the people
to discuss its merits, and will be ready
to join in the discussion.
Yours truly,
FRANCIS HENRY.
Gpunral NQvS