The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-06-22
A TRAP TO CATCH A SUNBEAM.


California state Republican convention
might be fairly described IS - trap to
catch sunbeams" The woman suffrage
plank is good illustration. There is not
the slightest evidence that the national
Republican party Is q woman outrage
party. or is likely 10 be. This enormous
enlargement of the suffrage 10 mere
question of expediency. The conception
that suffrage Is q natural right rather than
privilege is utterly without foundation
Ex-Judge Cooley. of Michigan. in his
principles of Constitutional Law" says:
"a gift by nature must be absolute. and
not contingent upon the state, coming for
ward afterward with uncertain and change
able ensctments 20 name conditions ana
point out the persons who may enjoy the
bounty. But there is further objection,
which is equally insurmountable; suffrage
cannot be the natural righs of the individ-
ual, because il does not exist for the hene-
AT of the individual, but for the benefit OF
the state itself
In his Constitutional Limitations "
Judge Cooley says:
participation in the elective franchise
Is q privilege rather than right, and 1t is
policy"
Pomeroy, in his Constitutional Law"
says;
THE subject of voting Is completely
within the control of the states; the
electoral franchise is not a right, but a
privilege, which must be conferred by the
positive law OF each commonwealth.
A state may deny to some citizens
the right of suffrage entirely. as most do
TO the free negro. and all do to women and
minors; or may deny il to persons of
foreign birth for certain period after
naturalization. as does New York. Others
still may confer the privilege upon per-
sons who are not citizens of the United
States, as do q few of the Western states"
So far from woman suffrage" being q
burning issue" of the time, nearly every
state has rejected it In New York state
in 1898 the only suffrage bill which reached
a vote was one allowing women TO vote in
village elections. which was defeated in
the senate April B. The supreme court
decided that the law passed by the legis-
lature of 1892. permitting women to vote
for school commissioners, was unconstitu
tional.
In Arizona the house passed bill CIV
ing full suffrage to women by a vote of is
to T. but il failed in tho other branch.
In Arkansas q school suffrage bill
passed the senate. but was tabled in the
house.
In California q school suffrage bin
passed the house by q vote of A to 81 and
the senate by q vote of 81 to 6, but was
vetoed by the governor.
In Connecticut bill permitting women
TO vote on the license question was de-
feated.
In Illinois @ township suffrage bill per-
hitting women to vote for supervisors,
town clerks, assessors and highway COM
missioners, also to participate and vote
in all town meetings, was passed by the
senate. but failed in the house.
In Indiana municipal su ffrage bills
were introduced in both branches of the
legislature, but failed to pass.
In Maine the house. by vote Of 43 to
20, defeated municipal suffrage bill
which had passed the senate.
In Massachusetts, bill comforting mu-
nicipal suffrage upon women was amended
by a provision requiring that before taking
effect 1t should be accepted by majority
of the men aud women of the state. The
amendment, which was recognized as hos
tile to the bill, was adopted by a vote of
40 to 80, and the bin as amended was de-
feated, yeas Iol, nays Ill, including four
teen pairs.
In Michigan q municipal suffrage bill
was enacted. but was pronounced uncon-
stitutional by the supreme court.
In Minnesota municipal suffrage bill,
male" from the constitution. passed the
senate but was killed in the house.
In Missouri municipal suffrage bill
was defeated in the house, yeas 45, nays IS.
In New Mexico q bill comforting full
suffrage upon women passed the house,
but did not reach g vote in the other
branch.
In North Dakota 8 suffrage bill was
passed by the house, but was 'afterward
reconsidered. and the earlier vote was ex-
plunged from the records.
In South Dakota q bill giving women
municipal suffrage was passed by the sem
ate. but ives defeated by the lower legisla-
tive branch, ~ yeas TO so nays.
In the United States senate, October is.
1888, an amendment 20 strike out the word
"mAle" from the qualifications Of voters at
the municipal elections to be held in that
part of oklahoma known as the Cherokee
Outlet, Was defeated, yeas 9, nays 40.