Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-03-22
SCHOOL SUFFRAGE.
Law as Understood by the Women
Who are Anxious To Vote

> Mrs Ella NJ. Orr, state superintendent
of the department of franchise of the
Equal Suffrage society, has issued the
following address to her co laborers,
which will give rise 10 wide Giffere nee
Of opinion when contrast1d with the late
ruling of States Attorney Sturgeon on
the Interpretation of the law:
The new school law. according to the
late decision OF the supreme court of Illis
nois. covers the following points:
LIST. Women may vote for trustees for
school townships This election takes
place annually the second Saturday in
April. when one trustee shall be elected
for the term of three years.
In coun ties adopting township organi.
cation the trustees shall be elected at the
same time as the town officers, namely
the first Tuesday in April.
2i. For district directors, who are
elected annually on the third Saturday in
April, when one director shall be elected,
who shall hold his Office three years.
81. In all school districts having pop>
ulation of 900 and not over 100. 900 in
habitsnts, which are not governed by any
special act in relation TO free schools,
there is elected, instead of directors, a
board of education, which shall consist of
a president and six members The pres
ident shall be elected annually. and shall
hold his office for the term of one year
The annual election of members of the
board of education shall be on the third
Saturday n April. wien one-third of the
members shall be elected for the term of
three years.
The above mentioned elections are held
under the general school laws of Illinois
but in many of the incorporated cities
and villag es, school boards are either APP,
pointed by the mayor, with the advice or
consent Of the council. or are elected
under some special act, when the number
| of members and the time of election NAV
differ from the provisions of the general
school law. Yours may be of these classes;
if so, you must ascertain the fact, and re
governed accordingly. II school off GERS
are elected IN your township or district
you have right to vote for them.
Any woman 81 years of age, resident
OF the state, and having the proper ouali-
tlcations, is eligible to any office of school
director, member Of board of education,
township trustee, state or county super
intendent Or regent.
A woman must be citizen of the Uni
ted States, q resident Of the state one
year, of the county 90 days, of the town,
ship or sch DOL district 30 days.
Women must be citizsns of the United
States before they can vote. All women
born in the United States are citizens.
All women who were born in q foreign
country. and whose fathers had been mats
uraliZed before they became of age are
citizens. We are Of the opinion that all
wives OF foreign birth whose husbands
have been naturalized are citizens, be-
cause under the law the husband and
wife become enc, his domicil is hers, his
citizenship becomes hers. The same
with native born husband who marries
a foreign born woman; but that foreign
born woman can apply for naturalization
papers Independent of the action Of her
husband. However. these questions will
have to be settled by the courts.
All single women of foreign birth
whose fathers had not been nsturalized
before they reached their majority, mus,
apply to tie circuit or county courts for
the necessary naturalization papers, and
should do so at once.
Registration is not a necessary Qualifi i,
c alton to voting for these officers But
the act of S9l relating to,womsn's vot~
| lug provides that women shall be regis
tered in the same manner as is provided
for the reg stration of male voters. The
act OF June II, 1891, provides system
of registration. namely: "a board of
registry snail meet in the precinct on
| Tuesday, three weeks preceding the first
general city, village or town election, or
the first state or county election, " "or in
case the previous registration shall be
used. such board of registry shall meet
on Tuesday two weeks preceding such
election, when such registration shall be
made"
You should see that your name is reg
| lSiered the first opportunity; but if a
school election shall be held before such
registration shall have been made, YOU
are entitled TO vote at such election. I
also advise you to consulta local attor-
ney in rela ion TO the school, registration
and natur aliz alton laws, as these laws
are likely II be IF c,ed by the decisions
of courts, or acts of the legislature.
! The law makes no provision for the
printing Of ballots at the elections held
for the purpose of electing trustees of
schools, school directors and members of
boards of education. If printed ballots
are not furnished by the candidates, you
must provide your own, either printed or
written. The school law provides that
If other public officers are elected at the
same election at which school Off GERS are
elected, the ballot offered by any woman
entitled to vote under this act sh al not
contain the name of any person to be
voted for at such election, except such
officers of public schools, and such bal
lots shall all be deposited in separate
ballot box This will occur at the cleo
ton Of township trustees. and it is the
business of the board of elections to pro-
vide the separate ballet box
| To Young Mothers,
who are for tue first time to undergo