, 1889-08-15
MORE CONVENTION.
Mr. Eldredg Makes Double the
Longest Speech of the
Session.
Delegates Appear to Be Wasting
Time on a Question Of After
Importance.
The Talk on Woman Suffrage
Causes a Handkerchief to
Flutter Freely.

vention met at 0 o'clock, the president
In the chair-prayer by Chaplain
Thompson. The roll was called with
several absent and others outside.
There were thirty mine empty chairs
during the reading Of the records. The
records were read and approved.
On motion Of Eshelman the conven-
tion went into committee of the whole,
with the president in the chair on the
article on elections and elective rights.
Preamble: All male persons of the
age OF "a years or over, possessing the
Ohowing qualifications, shall be entitled
to vote at all elections:
SECTION l. They shall be citizens of
che United States, provided, that Indians
not taxed shall never be allowed the
elective franchise; or provided further,
that all male persons who, at the time
Of the adoption of this constitution, are
qualified electors of the territory shall
be electors.
Btdredage moved to strike out the word
male" He did not want to see any
STATE take a step backward, and least of
all would he see this convention do any
thing to cast obliqy on the State of
Washington. These delegates he said
bad taken an oath 10 frame constitu-
tion in accordance with The Declaration
Of Independence, q portion Of which ho
read and argued that to leave this word
male" on this section was 70 violate
their oaths. He claimed that both DO
htical parties IN the territory having
once endorsed the female suffrage act.
those deaegates had no right in honor to
oppose suoh declaration Of principles
1t was true the supreme court
bad decided that act unconstitutional,
but the supreme court was not the voice
OF che people, while the act Of the legis-
lature and The resolution of political
parties was. The action of the supreme
court was severely csitisised, and de-
clared 10 be erroneous, even as a matter
Of law. The chair indulged him consid-
erabay over his time before calling him
70 order and when he was finally
STOPPED by TINE oAvsL
the oonvsation unanimously extended
his time. He extended his argument
forsy-hve minutes longer and sat down
having succeeded in delivering q speec n
nearly double the length of the longest
speech of the session.
q dozen or more ladies wore present
and gave the speaker close attention.
One of them, with disturbed coonten-
ance, flourished handkerchief at him
from time to time in a frantic way
but whether 1t was signal or
. remonstrance or token of approval
u was difficult to tell. IL had no visible
served to puzzle the spectators. Her
agitation seemed the greatest while he
discoursed at length on matrimony and
the ills which, as socially now regarded,
are thereby imposed on women, the cure
for which was emphatically declared to
be the ballot.
No answer was made, and, by vote
very faint in the ayes, the motion
failed.
Hicks offered substitute, conveying
the same ideas In different form OF
language, but the convention did not
take kindly to his form.
Convey offered a substitute, the object
OF which was to rcsrrange the preamble
and section /, bnt this was refused also
Gritfitts moved to incorporate the pre-
amble, section l and section into one
section to read as section /. So voted
aud section which follows is thus in
corporated. ~
Sic. Q. They shalt have lived In the
state one year, in the county ninety
days, and in the precinct thirty days
immediately preceding the election at
which they offer to vote.
SEC. 3. The Legislature may provide
that there shall be no denial of the elec-
tive franchise at school election on ac-
count of sex.
Eshelman moved to allow women to
vote at school elections.
Dunbar moved to strike out 'school"
and Eshelman withdrew his motion in
favour of this,
Dunbar declared himself TO be person.
ally and at all times in favor of woman
suffrage, hut when voting in represent
tative capacity, he might have TO
VOTE AGAINST 1T,
as he should have done had the roll been
called on Eldrdge's motion this morning,
bat he favored and argued for the leav-
ing of all this matter to the legislature
and not tying up either side of the case
by constitutional enactment.
Cosgrove took exactly the same
ground. As to that supreme court de.
eision, he didn't care to comment on il,
but would only say that he had just 50
compelled to have for decision of the
supreme court.
Griititts would have voted no on Ed
redge's motion, but intended to vote yes
on this. The extension Of the elective
franchise was matter of political exig.
ency and he was in favor of leaving that
matter within the power of the legisla-
ture. Consequently he intended to vote
against Section II of this article, which
directs q submission Of the question TO
the people at the November election.
He also declared his belief in the errone-
ousnoss of that supreme court decision
and reiterated Coseroyes statement, that
he had only SO much respect for that
decision as lawyer was compelled to
have, and not an iota more; whereat the
female with the handkerchief waved In
rapturous delight. But IL this question
was put out to vote now he would vote
against II, whatever he might do five
years hence. Whereat the handkerchief
futtered spitefully, and the lips above
u said "sit down" and shortly there
after he did sit down. 4.
Turner said that If the judges Of the
supreme court had been SO often referred
to by the eminent lawyers who had com.
mented on their decision they would
ls,sbtIess feel crushed, and so doubtless
would the late chief justice, who pre-.
-ided over that court (face over the
was perfect study, |
scorn ana contempt could go
no further in Hesh and blood)
but those judges were men Of such honor
and strength that they could say what
they believed to be right without so ar
edihg their Language as TO hunt for
votes. The people Of .,,A tliis tefritory tory
of the people now, and not have ID kept
open as a vexed question. He knew
tI,at wn,n ars suffrape WIS agaf1ted IN this |