The Washington times., 1894-07-22

adopted full suffrage amendment 20 to g.
and the house at first voted 33 to 22 in favor
OF it, but afterward changed its mind, recon
sidered the vote. and killed the bill.
A member of the Illinois legislature offered
1 a bill to repeal school suffrage for women and
| then had the chagrin of finding that he was
the only person in the assemblage who was in
favor OF it. A bill to extend township suffrage
| to women passed the Illinois Senate ~ to
| IL, but came to disaster In tho house. The
| supreme court of Michigan has set aside as
unconstitutional a law granting municipal
suffrage to women with an educational quail
| fcation, the measure having passed the house
81 to 25, and the senate Is to IL.
The Governor Of California vetoed school
| suffrage bill. which had passed the house AZ
to 27 and the senate 81 to 6. A municipal
| suffrage bill passed the last house in YER
mont 149 to SO, but missed the senate for the
lack of five votes The New Mexico house
passed a full suffrage bill, but 1t never came
to a vote in the senate. The tables were re
versed in Arkansas, where a school suffrage
bill got by the senate, but was laid over in
the house.
In Connecticut the women have gained q
real victory in the passage Of school suf-
frage bill by both branches OF the legislature
and its being signed by the Governor. They
would also have made gain in New York,
where the legislature extended to women the
right to vote for county school commissioners
in addition to the privilege OF helping in the
choice OF ordinary school officers, il the
supreme court had not set aside the new law
as unconstitutional.
Women have had setback in New Jersey
this year. Chief Justice Beasley Of the su-
preme court gave an opinion on June II, the
net value of which is that women cannot
vote for anything in New Jersey, whether it
appertains to local or state government, and
the legislature under the present constitution
cannot enact any laws Of any kind that will
give women the right OF suffrage"
This opinion WAS delivered in n road over
seer contest case, and by many persons it was
interpreted as denying to women tho right to
vote at any election. But Attorney General
Stockton has advised State School Superin-
tendent Poland that women can still vote at
school meetings, Notwithstanding the chief
Justices ruling, and he bases his opinion on
the constitutional provision giving TO the leg
islature power to provide for the "mnnage-
ment and control of free public schools" The
situation, therefore. is somewhat mixed.
The importance of this question that re-
mains TO be decided as to whether women may
or may not vote at school meetings in New
Jersey is considerable, because it has hap
pened more than once that women have
turned the scale in school elections In this
state. Only this Spring they carried a reso-
luton appropriatins considerable sum for
the building Of schoolhouse in Asbury Park.
while in Long Branch 600 of them voted and
elected their candidate for school trustee.
There is no doubt that for thirty-one years
after New Jersey became state, instead of a
COLONY, women voted there for Presidential
electors, members of the assembly and other
officers exactly as men did When the pro-
vincial congress Of New Jersey sat at Burling-
ton on July ,, 1I76. they placed no sex quail
tication upon the right of suffrage. A COM
mittee Of the legislature in 1880 reported bill
elections, in which the words "he''
or ''she" were applied to voters. and several
other laws and official documents contain
phrases which show that women were recog-
nized as full citizens and voters until 1907,
when the legislature passed an act restricting
the suffrage TO white male adult citizens" It
is even claimed by Lille DevereauX Blake and
other enthusiastic woman suffragists that the
women OF New Jersey still retain this ancient
right.
Among the latest victories for woman
suffrage abroad are the passage OF a law in
New leland giving to women the full right
to vote in all elections and the extension by
the British Parliament to all women. both
married and single, of the right to vote under
the parish councils bill. Women have also
been made eligible TO serve on the London
vestry. On January 20 the French Senate. by
a vote of 132 to 81. gave to women engaged in
business the right to vote for judges of the
tribunal of commerce. 1t is claimed that in
New Zealand women have already voted on
the side of progress in civil government
A great deal might be said about women
who hold office, but it would not be especially |
pertinent to the present discussion, because it |
is not believed that many women. even among |
those who are anxious for the privilege of |
voting, would be seekers after public places. |
GEORGE NJ. SMITH.