The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-05-03
WOMEN NOT TO VOTE.

elections has been decided by a. ma
Jority vote of the constitutional con-
venuon in the negative. That is to
say. a majority of the delegates de-
eide that women shall not vote at the
first state election nor at the election
for the ratification of the constitution.
both of which will occur on the same
day.
The Herald has expressed the opin-
ion, several times. that it was the evil
dent intention of Congress to prescribe
the qualifications of voters for the cleo
ton of delegates to the convention, and
also for the adoption or rejection of the
constitution. making them the same
for both purposes. Also that the
qualifications of voters in the new
state should be prescribed by ordinance
as part of the constitution. by the con-
vention.
Thus there would be two classes of
voters as there are to be two cleo
lions. for different purposes. One
class provided for by the enabling act
the other by ordinance in the constitu-
ton. The former to vote on the ratifi-
cation question. the latter on the state
officers, members of the legislature and
Representative in Congress.
The first named class of voters are
male citizens of the United States
over the age of twenty-one years, who
have resided in said territory for one
year next prior to such election"
The second named class of voters are
they who are made so by ordinance in
the constitution. That class is thus de-
fined in the constitution:
Every citizen Of the United States
OF the age of q years and upwards
VINO shall have been a citizen for
state or territory for one year, in the
county four months. and in the pre-
clnct sixty days next preceding any
election. shall be entitled to vote att
such election except as herein other
wise provided"
That this includes women citizens is
paced beyond all doubt by the preced-
ing section of the same article, which
provides that:
Both male and female citizens of
TINS state shall equally enjoy all civil,
pohtlcal and religious rights and privi
leges." -
The voters in the new state. It will
De seen, atre a different class to the
voters for the adoption of the consti-
tuition; their qualifications are not the
same. Now the election for state Off
GERS etc, is state election, is it not? |
Who shall vote at that election? The |
qualified electors of course. They are
oehned in the constitution. If the con- !
st1tution is adopted by a majority |
vote at the other election, the cleo
ton for state officers, etc. will stand.
If not it Will be void.
The citizens declared to be entitled |
10 vote in the new state s,e eligible
TO vote at that election unless there
Is an express provision to the con-
trary i'll another part of the constitu-
ton. And lest some one may think
the article was not intended to apply
to the first state election, we direct
to the provision that the
as to residence applies
to the state and the territory alike,
showing that the intention of the ar
icles is to include the first election
with those that are to be subsequent.
in prescribing the qualifications of
voters at such elections
That women citizens are entitled un-
der the sections we have quoted to
vote at the first state election. is as
cleas, as that male citizens may do
so. But the right to vote for the
adoption of the constitution is another
thing entirely.
However, there is an expression
Used several times in the enabling act
which causes very able lawyers to
adopt the view that the intention of
CONFESS was to make eligible to vote
1t that election. not only the class
specially provided for in that act,
'ut the class endowed by the consti-
ution with the elective franchise.
Who, they think, are designated by
he words ''the qualified voters of the
state" And seeing that this
opinion is at least plausible, what
larm would have been done if the
lass of voters considered to be doubt
III had been permitted, as those law
Tcrs suggested, to cast their ballots in
eparate boxes, so as to avoid dispute
S to the full legality of the election? ,,
That, however. is settled by de- :.
isive vote. And it is interesting to -,
ote that the attitude of the two par |
es in relation to equal suffrage has
'een once more made prominent. The
opposition to the exercise of the right c
f suffrage at the first state election. i
las come from the Republicans. Read l
he names of the fifty-three delegates
Tho voted against the amendments to
ecure them in that privilege, and only 6
We Democrats will be found Din the {
st. They are Fart, WINS, Kiesel, '
.oberts and Sharp. A number of the c
republicans who voted for the woman
uffrage article, voted against the t
which would havee given f
,omen the right to vote next Novem- Y
"a. The provision in the schedule for h
citing next November excludes women a
rom the polls. How do the delegates Z
tho supported 1t reconcile that pro- c
ision with section one of the Article
n Elections and the Right of Suffrage C
/ the same instrument? k
1.-The rights of citizens of the State
f Utah to vote and hold office shall o
OF be denied or abridged on account t.
f sex. Both male and female citi-
Ems of this state shall enjoy equally d
Il civil, political and religious rights Y
nd privileges. c