Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1889-09-27
THE NEW CONSTITUTION.
Shall the Advocates Of FREQ an6
Equal Suffrage Vote for It?

Shall the Advocates of Free and
Equal Suffrage Vote for It?
EDITOR STANDARD: The time is ut
hand when decision must be made.
As the Constitution has been framed
by men OF diverse views, it is natural
to expect it would be contradictory in
its letter. and if adopted, would need
the weeding-out process OF the courts
to bring it into conformity with the
supreme law of the land. A number
were men of progressive and advanced
views, but the majority were conserva-
tive and slow to appreciate the de-
mands of the age. Many of them, it
would seem, were not aware OF tie full
import of their work. "They builded
wiser than they knew" For instance,
in framing and adopting the Bill OF
Rights, which is the fundamental law
by which all subsequent enactments
are to be regulated, they affirmed (first
sectiom that all political power is in
herent in the people," little supposing
that in securing their own personal or
political rights they had made it abso-
lutely impossible for the Legislature in
the future, if this Constitution is rati-
fed, to restrict the elective franchise
by denying the right to vote OF any
class of citizens, male or female. By
that first section the people of both
sexes are declared to be already in
vested with the whole sovereign power
of the State, with the right to create
the State Government and amend it
as may be required, and which can only
be done by the free and equal sufi'rages
of the whole people. This is the es-
sence and substance of all political
power, the ballot, term that simply
signifies the means or the implements
by which our political edifice is erected
and maintained. Consequently, it was
absurd for the Convention, after affirm
ing the prior right of the people to the
ballot, to proceed, in the sixth article,
to limit it to male citizens, thus repu-
dating and denying the fundamental
principle of the equality of all citizens,
and which they had clearly affirmed in
three sections of the Declaration OF
Rights. They also in the same article
deny the ballot to Indians who happen
to be too poor to be taxed, although
they may have severed their tribal re-
lations and conformed to civilized Gus
toms, thus violating the Fifteenth
Amendment of the United States Con
stitution, which afiirms that the right
to vote shall not be denied ON account
OF race or color. Section 10 provides
that call elections shall be free and
equal, and no power, civil or military
shall at any time interfere to prevent
the free exercise of the right of suf
frage." And yet our puissant Conven
ton, after denying power to the civil
or military powers to obstruct the polls
proceed to set up the barrier of sex il
the case of women citizens, and o.
poverty in the case of the poor Indian
thus recognizing a property qualifica
ton to vote! Surely, if we could not
rely upon the Courts to sweep away
these cobwebs, the friends of justice
and fair dealing would be compelled to
vote against the Constitution.
But again, as if to set the question
forever at rest, in Section IL they affirm
that no law shall be passed granting
to any citizen, class of citizens or cor
porations other than municipal, privi
leges or immunities which, upon the
same terms, shall not equally belong
to all citizens or corporations. If this
section does not compel the Legisla.
ture, in regulating the elective fran.
chise, to recognize the women of Wash.
ington Territory as voters, in every
sense of the word, there is no meaning
in words. To vote is to exercise the
highest privilege of citizenship, and by
the plain tenor OF this section men, as
a class, cannot vote without sharing
the same privilege with the women
for are not they as distinctly class as
themselves, and will not the judges ol
election, who are sworn to support the
Constitution, be compelled to receive
their votes when offered at the polls!
But the Convention has provided that
the question of equal suffrage shall be
decided by a one-sided vote. 1t has
undertaken to give one half of oul
people authority to disfranchise the
other and better half! The supreme
law of the land, which affirms in the
Fourteenth Amendment that "the
privileges and immunilies of citizens
shall not be abridged" is disregarded
as we'll as their own Declaration oil
Rights, as l have already shown; and
the conservative, non-progressive ma.
jority of the Convention, whose patri
otism doubtless far exceeded their
knowledge of the principles of free
government, have prepared the way
for the creation of an oligarchy, a
privileged class in our free republic
with power to enslave all beside them.
selves. The women of our Territory
have hitherto walked to the polls
by the side of their husbands, on terms
OF perfect equality; hereafter, possibly,
they may, like the women of China,
he permitted to walk behind them. Ii
is a lamentable task prepared for the
friends of equal rights. They must go
to the polls in numbers sufficient to
ratify this Constitution and carry
" Woman Suffrage" or the women will
have to go to the courts for relief.
They are legal voters to-day. Had the
Bloomer case only been carried up, the
Supreme Court of the United States
it would by this time be so declared,
and the case would have been settled
in our Territory. Many intend to vote
against the Constitution because the
judicial department is too expensive
but that can be amended. Ii the Gov
ernor is compelled to call the Conven-
ton to meet again to finish their work
1T will be an expense to the State, and
as they would meet in an ill humor
they might mar good work already
done. With the exception noted, it is
as good a Constitution, probably, as
we could get from this Convention.
observe that the friends OF equal suf-
frage are somewhat divided. East of
the mountains they support it, and
propose to claim their rights in the
the courts. On this side the Suffrage
Association advise to vote against it.
| hope they will take a more cheerful
view OF it. There is too much good in
It to throw away. b. +. Brown.
Ex-President Cleveland has written
letter to a man who has started a
Democratic organ in Washington City.
There was time when Mr.. Cleveland
vas disposed to manifest contempt for
he press.