The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-03-01
THE STATE or WASHINGTON
"reminiscences Of the First Con.
stitutiorxI Convention


ere ling be q convention ADfAsss1
~hereio and whereby the enduring
foundations viii be laid for the future
empire state Of the Pacific coast, the
great commonwealth of Washington.
the presentation Of sorae facts and 1g-
ures bearing on the former eonssstH-
fional convention. held here la ISIS,
vii move not uninteresting. On
Tuesday. June II, is7s, the duly elect
ed delegates Numbering Is, eight lie.
ryuf3lscans and scsea Democrats zs-
seuslled in what was then called ccf-
ence hsEI. nos occupied ~ the IIbsss
library, large room tn the key uoias
binding on Main street. for the pssr-
roee OF formulating constitution Tor
the then proposed new state. The fol-
Iowing-nanles4 composed the body
w. Al. George Of Walia WaIa. I'd
warsI Eidridgs. Nhatcom, !. vi. Gil
more. Esicsitat, were the delegates at
large s. 81. Wait. b. +. DennlsoE,
n ii. Larrabee representing the fifsfs
second and Third ju siciai districts re-
spectsyesy; from the council Districts
were Charles d.. Bradshaw. Ieffer-
son county Henry b. EEery, kitsap
county l.. 8. Andreus, King county
De. Hanna. Pierce county francis
Henry. Thurston county A. D. Aoer-
natl1F. Gowiitz county George III.
Steward. Clarke county @. +. I.aey.
WaI.s HaEia county; ]. y. o. Dell.
Whitman county and SiOnzo Leland.
Neg Perez county, Idaho. And Of
whom il rn4y be said they were the
fioser OF the territory and were with
out exception sedate and thoughtful
men, many of them having had large
legislative and 5ndirial experience and
by reason OF the inspiration afforded
by tiae importance Of the work they
were called 10 perform COM
neueesl their labor with y strength
Of purpose and an earnestness tbsat
was most fnpiimentary, and whose
zeal was e11phaticaily manifested
throughout the entife 40 days session
In the sweiiering beat 81 midsummer
The members we're duly qualified by
r. y. Johnson, notary pubic, and or
ganizsd BY choosing A. 3. Alternately
president. w. Il. Daniels Of Clarke
county, secretary: William Clark as
sistAns secretary. Henry d. Cook ser
geans-at-arms, John Bryant and John
Norris messengers, Arthur Sharpsfein
page. Other than getting the ma
chinery In running order no notable
basinsas was innlsacsed until The even
ing OF The fourth day when the COM
mittee heretofore appointed ION the
best mode OF framing the constitiL-
ton reported the following ciassiii-
cation of articles. preamtles, bonnda-
riea, declaration uf rights. distribution
Of powers. legislative. administrative,
judiciary, finance, eminent domain
a "a Il
elections. officers. state institutions,
education, corporations, kthe rights OF
married women and exemptions from
forced sale, amendments. misceliane-
Gus. schedule. resolutions. Nineteen
articles in all which on the fifth day
were segregated into three parts and
referred 60 three committees, author
ized 10 report from time to time.
ON the sixth day Judge Dennison pre-
scented peti ion signed BY 60 names,
male and female, bringing before the
convention the subject of the right OF
women to vote, which. by vote of
seven to six resulted in the appoint.
ment Of Messrs. George Eldridge and
Steward as q committee to wait upon
Mrs. Duniwas. then In our city, IN
vi ing her to appear before the CEN
venilon at 10 a. m, on the seventh
day. and present her memorial on
female suffrage. molten made al
the time that Mrs. Duniway be made =
member af the convention failed Ia
work
Tie lady. at the time stated. mado
an eloquent appeal on behalf OF
womankind 10 crowded ha& a
majority OF whom were ladies oE this
CITY, who By their smiling faces,
light. gay laughter, ie@ssssse=iiing and
winning looks lent q softne,s to the
somber and sage aspect Of the assenl-
blage of short time before Al the
close OF which local reporter heard
heard one OF the constituents say 90
another: 1--we spotted two of them;
that sage from island, Mr. Larabee.
clad in robes OF spotless purity. with
the white eyebrows on his upper lip,
and that handsome man With the
white vest, Mr. STEWARD, are opposed
to us. and am going straight % tell
Mrs. Dun:gay, so that she can give
iem fits
The i4sh day was eatirely oc-
cnpled discussing. sonex hal hotly at
times, the rights and privileges OF
Alonzo Leland. delegate frum Idaho.
MIR. Leland claiming he should have
the right to vote, a. well as 10 sit in
the convention. Notable speeches be-
ing made by Messrs. Bradshaw,
Henry, l.arrabee and Leland. The
discussion resulting, however, in re-
iectiag his demand.
On she 1itsi day, Mr.. Henry In
a felicitous speech presented the con-
vention with a box OF clans from his
county, which gave rise To consider
.tf III a. -. ftesx.
ending IN the speaker, Mr.. Alternately,
being presented with the biyalyes, the
other officers having the box divided
between them.
On the 10Th day this august body
had some trouble in obtaining
quorum. and, according TO the report,
.'the bury serEeantat-arms muzzied
on. of the csnsumptives and brought
him in" During iuil in the pro-
ceeslings. Mr.. Bradshaw begged leave
20 inquire II tbs gentleman from
Idaho had the right of the fioor,
whether or not he had the further
right 10 take the floor oil with ham.
On saiema vote taken IL was decided
that he had la the afternoon the
Maila waiia & Columbia River Rail-
road Company through T. r. Baker,
agent. rendered the members tree
passes 10 Wsilnsa and return. They
accepted the invitation, but nntaaed
the company that they would take the
passes only at the close ut their
EahorS.
On the sistdav, besides debating the
judiciary article, the body thanked
the people vi Colfax for their offer oi
free transpo. tation from Alnota ca
their elty shtle ON their proposed trip
g. Lewiston. On she 32.i aas Mr. Den
nison's section so the Declaration os
Rights. providing that the right %
hold certain ST tue territorial, county
and city Offices shall not he denied Ia
any persen on account OF sex. sas
adopted. In the afternoon Governed
Ferry Was, ~ response Ia sescgraai
sent htn, present and occuI&esl q seal
on the Platform With the president
On the sssh day the convention seems
to have gotten 80 hslogxse,i ia discus
sing The financial article" thai
they adjourned suddenly. rs the on IL
way ont Of is, for the time eefng 81
least.
Al last. on the morning 81 July -,
the convention took up the canstita,
ton, a. enKrossea on taarehAeSt, ios
final readilsg. revision sna SlgsiR9
At the conclusion ~ which Col. t,eurSs
Introduced . series ct resolutions
thanking the aslicrrs and every ssSs.l !