The morning call., 1890-08-08
sBINGTON.

Some Historical Facts About the Women
Suffrage Movement.
Editor Uoman's Column, Morning Call:
The following facts are given by Mrs.
Lucy A. Switzer of East Washing
ton in her annual address: The LeGis-
lature of 1888 amended Section 1880,
Chapter 23S, so that it read, "All Ameri-
can citizens above the age of 81 years-and
none other-shall be eligible to hold Office
or to vote" etc. Governor Newell ap-
proved the act November %, 1888, entitled
IAN act to amend Section 1850, Chapter
23S, of the code of Washington" The next
Legislature amended the act to read, "All
American citizens, male and female, above
the age of q years." etc. Prior to 1883 it
had read "All American male citizens"
The first bill was pending before the Legis-
lature and Governor forty-two days, and
after it had been in force three and
half years was annulled because Of the title.
The evil element did not dare TO make an
open issue against woman suffrage, so 1t
secured the annulling If all laws by the
Supreme Court that had been voted on by
number not by name. That was done. and
thus over thirty laws became null and void,
many of them involving the title to valu-
able property. Then a bill was passed re-
enactipg all out 1850, and all this was done
by log-rolling, and SO quietly that
FEW OUTSIDERS
And probably not many insiders saw the
drift until the women were DISTINGUISHED.
The case made to bring the question into
court was this: Harlan, a gambler. was
indicted by the Grand Jury in Judge Hoyts
court. The jury was composed partly OF
women, and on his conviction he appealed
TO the Supreme Court, which consisted of
the four District Judges, Hoyt, Greene, Tur-
ner and Langiord, sitting in bank, the one
(Hoyt in this case from whose court the case
is appealed having no voice in the dc cision.
Harlan's attorney argued that women
we're not legal jurors, and Turner and
Langiord decided the Woman Suffrage Act
illegal because Section 1880 of the code
was amended by reference to its numb3r
and the chapter in the code" Chief Justice
Greene dissented from this decision. After
this adverse decision on the law upon
technically there was strong feeling that
1t should be re-enacted. Accordingly the
Legislature of 1875 re enacted the meas
ure, many bills being presented as House
Bills. Nos. 2, 4, $ and % were Suffrage
bills. hon. o. Z. White introduced bill
in the Council giving women the full ballot,
but denying them jury service. Amend
ments TO these several bills were proposed,
To submit the question to vote OF the peo-
pie, to the citizens, to the voters, to the
women of the Territory, etc, The Council
Bill was
FINALLY PASSED
And approved by Governor Eugene Semple
January Is, 1888, of whom honorable men
ton should be made. Hon. b. I. DennIsOn
said of the act of SO. 'Ihe law has been ex-
am ined and discussed in two Legislatures
and by two Governors; 1t had encountered
and withstoOd judicial scrutiny for years
and dispeled prejudice" 1t had challenged
the attention anu received the approval of
four Senatorial political conventions. 1t
is we'll to remember the Governors who
made such an excellent record aud eX-Gov-
ernor Watson b. Squire champi0ned the
good laws of 1SS7-SS in the face OF much OPP
position. One element hired an attorney TO
deliver before him long argument against
local option, and the women were dIsfran-
chsed because of their service in that cam
paign. The sect of people, according to
Mrs. Swtzer, who rejoiced with powder
and bonfire after this first adverse decision
showed that class that lives by politics,
gamblers. bummers and hoodlums gener-
ally did not want women TO vote. The
women carried too much conscience to the
polls.
More trouble was in store for the better
element. for in compliance with the wishes
of the Spokane bar Judge Nash was ap-
pointed to preside over that district, and
May %, 1885, he decided the second law lille
gal because 1.-The Federal Congress, in legis-
laton on the question Of the Territories
and in
Z
/ To them in the act to confer suffrage, had
all the time in view males only. and has at
| all times, by every possible implication, ex-
cluded females from holding office" The
Territorial Supreme Court confirmed the
decision, and adds: 1--WE cherish the hope
that in the near future our own citizens will
! have the opportunity to determine this
question for themselves, in the formation Of
a State constitution" The. organic act,
under which all in the Territory voted, was
passed in 1852, in it the word Citizen was
! used as the qualification for voting and
! holding Office, and there was no justice in
debarrng women citizens from giving any
authoritative opinion as regards matters that
concern them as much as the men. Women
had strong friends, but political knavery was
triumphant Hon. Charles Voorhees,, dele
gate, spoke in Congress for equal suffrage.
When the bill was introduced to legaze
thrty-three acts of the Territorial Legisla-
ture passed by numbers among them was the
first suffrage bill. Judges HUyt, Wingard
and Greene delivered opinions sustaining
the suffrage law. When the Constitutional
Convention met, many of the members
forgot former records, and were willing to
drop women. or do anything to please poll
ticians and hasten statehood. EldEidge OF
WhatcOm fought brayely for the enfran-
chisement of women, and he had able
helpers, but they were in the minority, and
a constitution was drafted making the
woman suffrage act separate act, TO be
voted on separate day, all sorts OF
chicanery was employed and OF course it
was voted down. D. D.