The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-03-29
THE Equal SUFFRAGE CONTEST.

4uelce OF Delegate u. h. Roberts, OF
Davis County, to whom they gave their
allotted time so that he might deliver
the Grafton which has been for some
time anticipated.
But the gentleman did not approve
OF the minority report, although he
was in full sympathy with its purpose:
that is, to prevent the granting of po-
litical liberty to women. His dissent
from the minority report does credit TO
| his judgment; it is a poor, weak and
! hmping thing, and after the long
! travail preceding its birth it must have
! been a severe disappointment to ex-
pectant friends.
{ If vigor, sincerity, rhetoric and vel
| hement oratory could have carried the
| day against logic, justice, equal rights|
party pledges and deep-seated convic-]
tons, Mr.. Roberts might have sue
| ceeded. But the lack of argument in
the midst of verbal pyrotechnics was
made glaringly apparent by those very
fires, and the brilliant effort failed to
| convert while it charmed the specta-
tors.
1LiG dDpGcJlS anu ICdSOUlLSS Ol}
Messrs. Chidester, Anderson, of Bea<
yer, Thurman, Richards and Cannon
contain such arguments as show UP in
striking contrast TO the glittering gen-I
eralities set forth by Mr.. Roberts. And
it is surprising that he should receive
, as strong a following as he is said &c
| have acquired, as the leader of the op |
position to the equal suffrage article. !
The minority report summed uIy
amounts to this:
That women are so intellectual and
so good that they are ruled more byI
their sympathies, impulses and rel
ligious convictions than by arbitrary
law, and therefore should not vote.
That it is hard for women to changed
when their sympathies have been in al
given direction.
That Congress took away the fran
chise from Utah women because they
sympathies were directed toward
certain allegiance.
That there is fear that with woman
suffrage the "old conditions would re-
turn and result in political ostracism
of the minority.
That this feeling is felt throughout
capital which would be frightened
away at the prospect of placing the T.
entire power of government in the
hands of a power that might become
omnipotent."
That since the party platforms were
framed there has been a most decided
change of thought on this subject.
That the whole matter had better b
left to the legislature and, kept out
the constitution.
Mr.. Roberts. while objecting to thi
report, yet echoed these very PROPOSE
tons in forcible and eloquent language
and they formed the basis of his effo1
which also included the silver and pro
hibition questions.
They might all be dismissed as vol
of real application to the main ques
ton, and mere bubbles mingled wit
imaginary difficulties conjured up i
place of sound reasons.
On the frst-named ground, onl,
and unsympathetic per-
sons should have the ballot. Every
male whose sympathies are superior to
his appreciation of the arbitrary na1
ture of law, should be disfranchised.
There are many men who find It
hard to change their views and sympa-
thies. therefore they should not be al
lowed to vote.
Congress not only took away the
franchise from the women, but from a
certain class of men. On the reasoning
of the minority report they ought not
to have the franchise restored.
The fear that conditions have not
actually changed in Utah is a buried |
bugaboo, pulled out of its grave to do
duty for this occasion. If there is not J
a sincere division on party lines, then
the whole contention between PARTIES
which every sane man recognizes as a |
vigorous reality-is a sickening sham.
If it is a living fact it includes the
as we'll as the men. and that
they take opposite party views while
uniting to gain the suffrage is as
patent a fact as that the men have so
divided.
The assertion that this alleged fear
S felt throughout the nation, is
straight undiluted falsehood without
J
men who wrote it believe it, they are
n woful ignorance of general public
opinion. If they do not believe it they
they are anti-equal suffrag-
SITS.
There has been no change among the
people on the woman suffrage uues-
ion since the platforms were framed.
Except the conversion of some, oppon-
nts into advocates of woman suffrage.
The matter cannot be left to the
legislature, because the Iegislature
must first receive authority from the
constitution as to granting equal polit-
cal rights and privileges to both
sexes.
So far the minority report AS to
dr. Roberts additional objections. sill
yer and prohibition, they have no more
o do with the question at issue than
he taxation question has, which he
lso brought in. There will be some
otes against the constitution perhaps
N each of these grounds. There would
e a great many more votes against
he constitution if it should leave out
Toman suffrage than if it is incor-
GRATED in that instrument.
The opinion of the country on this
uestion should have no bearing on the
ctjon of this convention on a ques-
ion Of justice and equal rights Tho
otion that woman suffrage would j
ny way endanger the acceptance
ha constitution nv tho praciJap+ :;