Woman's chronicle. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1888-1???, 1890-06-14

have done more. Matron Webb is the nearest ap-
proach to police matron New York has known.
The commissioners are willing evidently that she
shall do the work as long she has no authority.
The Woman's Suffrage League held its last
meeting of this season at the residence of Mr..
John r. Lowell last Thursday night
The Federation of Women's Clubs have &C.
cepted the invitation of the Chicago Womans
Club to meet in their city in 1892.
HARYoT HOLT.
WHEN the Washington Territory Supreme Court
disfranchised thousands of women-one of the
greatest judicial outrages in all hstory-the un-
designed denounced that crime, in the ALBANY
Times and New York Star, in words so truthfully
strong, that the woman suffrage journals dared
not reprint them. Faint-hearts trembled, and foes
were enraged, at the writer's bold denunciation of
the Washington judges shameful declaration that
territorial Legislature could not extend suffrage,
when Congress had left it free to do So But now
the highest tribunal in the land decides that he
was right, and condemns the falsehoods of the
Washington judges.
In deciding unanimously the Idaho test oath
case, the Supreme Court of the United States says
that
"Under section 1851 of the Revised Statutes U.
S. 'the legislative power of every territory shall
extend to all rghtful subjects of legislation etc.
the territorial Legislature was authorized to pre-
scribe any qualifications for voters, not inconsist-
ent with the limitations citizenship, residence,
age, etc. of sections 1880. These limitations
are the only ones placed on the Legislatures
against granting power to vote or hold office The
Legislature have authority to prescribe any reas-
enable qualifications for voting or holding office,
not inconsistent with these limitations" (Supreme
Court Reporter, March 8, 1890, p. 3O2)
Thus the highest court in the country indorses
the writer's stand, and justifes his public rebuke
of those infamous judges. Those men-William
G. Langford, S. B. Nash and George Turner
should be scorned and Stunned by all honorable
men and women. The Supreme Court of the
United States having pronounced against the
grounds OF that shameless decision, the writer
counsels Washington women to seek redress from
that high tribunal. Let Washington be reorgan-
lied, or even returned to territorial condition.
rather than that half its people remain dis
franchised.
More important STILL For ten wears the writer
has maintained the doctrine that suffrage is not
controlled by constitutions but that State Legis-
lature can extend suffrage to anyone whom the
State constitution does not in express terms shut
out Denounced and ridiculed at first, this doc
trine has steadily made its way. The Federal laws
are the Territories constitution. Thus the high
est court in America, after full argument, unani-
mousy accepts the doctrine that Legislatures can
extend the suffrage, where the constitution does
not in plain words forbid. From this solemn and
splendid pronouncement let Freedoms friends in
every State take courage and press on; every
where except in the few where the constitution
says mo Others but those herein secured shall
vote'' let them demand of their legislatures laws
removing from women the burden and wrong Of
Acknowledgement. Hamilton Wr1cox
chairman State Elk. Com. N. Y Womans Suffrage PARTY
line existence of insignificant people has very
important consequences in the world It can be