The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-03-28
ONLY TO HIDE THEIR REAL MOTIVE
The Democrats Opposed WyomIng's
Woman Suffrage Laws.
The House, by a Party Vote, Favored
the New State.
Something About the Proposed
Changes in Pension Law.
Especial to the Press. |

WASHINGTON, March 27-Tho debate upon
the admission of the territory of Wyoming
on yesterday and today has involved the
question of woman suffrage, perhaps princi,
pally for the reason that Mr.. Springer and
the other Democrats on the committee on
territories thought this the most promising
point to make against the Wyoming bill.
They made few other objections, but their
minority report dwelt at greatest length and
with most force upon the woman suffrage
question. They passed from the special case,
too, of Wyoming to the general question of
woman's capacity for enfranchisement, Ar
ticle six, of the Constitution adopted by Wy
omiLg is, in the words of Mr.. Springer and
his associates, "very radical"
The rights of the citizens of the State of Wyom-
ing to vote and hold office is not to be denied or
male citizens OF this state shall enjoy all civil,
political and religious rights and privileges.
This is the article whereby the people of
Wyoming have expressed their approval of
an institution which they have had in their
territory for many years now. Mr.. Springer
and his associates have laid stress upon th g
fact that thereis no state in the Union which
contains such provision in its constitution,
and that there is no state or nation in the
civilized world where women are permitted
to hold Office or to vote, excepting in few
instances relating to school offices. There
fore the minority of the committee deter
mined to propose three amendments to the
Wyoming bill, which have been voted on
this afternoon. The first amendment pro-
vided for the holding of new constitutional
convention in Wyoming, for which only male
voters should be allowed 20 vote for dele
gates. In case that this amendment, which
would allow the convention to adopt woman
suffrage if 1t should see fit, should be mega
tived, the minority presented another
amendment. the substance of which is ex-
pressed in the following:
Provided, That there shall be an election in the
Territory OF Wyoming on the Tuesday next after
the first Monday In November 1890, for a repre-
sentative in Congress to the Ffty-frst and Fifty
second Congresses and for the state. judicial and
ated by the proposed constitution Of the State Of
Wyoming, and such county, precinct and munich
pal officers as may be provided for under such
of Wyoming; but no county or township officers
shall be elected unless their terms are about to
such offices. At said election every male citizen
of the United States, who is otherwise qualified
under the laws Of the Territory Of Wyoming to
stitution. and separate propositions submitted,
and no others, and said election shall be conduct
ner provided in the laws Of said territory for the
election of the delegate. to Congress. At said
election each qualified elector may have written
also the words, "FOr female suffrage or
Against female suffrage Also the words,
juries. or the words, against tne eligibility of
women to hold offices and sit on juries.b
In case this should be negatived still an
other amendment was proposed, stipulating
that Wyoming should not be admitted to the
Union until it should have stricken out of
its constitution the woman suffrage provis-
ions.
1t is not probable that the great objection
of the Democratic members Of the committee
to the admission of Wyoming was on account
of woman suffrage, but it afforded good
woman suffrage for several years, and they
have liked it SO well that they. have made 1t
part of the organic law of their new state.
A Congressman who might be radically OPP
posed to woman suffrage would not feel it to
else Of woman suffrage in another state
where the people should be in favor. Even
the extremists will hardly claim that woman
suffrage is an institution like slavery or Nor
monlsm which must not be tolerated. Yet
Mr.. Springer and his associates have treated
the question almost precisely as If 1t were
like slavery or Mormonism. Without pre-
suming to argue the question for themselves
they appended to their report four docu-
ments, all Of them very forcible arguments gII
the now familiar article by Prof. Goodwin
Smith, who closes his arraiKnment of woman
suffrage with these words:
In an age of "fabby' sentiment and servlle
and and pre- precpItate abdications. 70 one 81 them we
owe the catastrophe of the French Revolution
aud the deluge of calamity which has followed.
sovereign power came naturally and righteousy.
Let him see whether he can not make just use
OF It, In the interest OF his vile and chlidren as
well as his own, before he sends in his resigna-
ton.
Another of the articles brought In by Mr..
Springer and his friends to sustain them was
by Mrs. Clara L. Leonard, whose argument
closes as follows:
Voting alone can easily be exercised by women
without rude contact. but to attain any political
power women must affiliate themselves with men;
because women will differ ON public questi ons,
inevitably hold public office and strive for it: in
short, women must enter the political arena This
ses woa e make
and combative, which would be detriment to So
ciety.
The remonstrance of L. Jefferson Cool
idge. and others of Boston is added, and to
put in the last stroke is added an argument
on "The Law of Woman Life" by Adeline
T. d. Whitney.
WASHINGTON, March 27.-In the House
today the Wyoming admission bill was taken
up. Mr.. Springer offered an amendment, to
strike out the clause of the Wyoming consti-
tuition providing for female suffrage. This
was defeated. Mr.. Breckenridge of Ken
was also lost. The bill passed-yeas, 139;
nays. 127; a strict party vote, except that Mr..
Dunnell of Minnesota voted with the Dem
ocrats. Mr.. Baker of New York moved to
reconsider. The motion to reconsider was