Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-05-30

may come, arises chiefly from the pro-
vision granting to women the right of
suffrage.
Ihe convention of an Overwhelming
majority passed the clause providing
for this over the protests of more than
10000 residents of the territory, who
by petition prayed that that section
might be submitted separate and apart
from the constitution. That this
would be done, however. no one. not
even the petitioners themselves. be-
lieved. The Mormon people, who con-
trolled a majority in the constitutional
convention, have always been sore
since the right of suffrage was taken
away from the women of this territory
by the EdmundS-Tucker law, and it
has always been understood by Nor
mons and GentileS alike that with the
coming of statehood the right to cast
a ballot on all questions would be re-
stored to them. With this settled be-
lief In their minds, it was with small
nope of success that the protests of the
Gentle people against putting this
clause in the body of the constitution
were made.
In the giving of suffrage to the
women of the territory the Gentle eIe-
ment see the coming transfer of su-
preme political control in the state to
the Mormon people. With absolute
control of the elections and politics Of
the state in Mormon hands, the Gen.
tiles fear the resumption of the Oln
relations and the sway Of the Mormon
church that rendered life in the terri
tory burden to every one not a men,
Der of that denomination. For this
reason a large vote will be pOlled
against the constitution, but that it
will be defeated is not dreamed of by
any one.
While a great deal of bitterness Is
felt in the old liberal, or Gentle,
Strongholds because of the section
granting women the right to vote, still
it is safe to say that out of more than
10000 votes within the territory, %
600 or more will be cast for the adOp-
ton of the constitution.
All diSSenSions arising out of the con-
test for statehood will be settled in the
natural course of events under the
operation by the people of the new
rights and powers that statehood will
confer. Politicians will be made and
unmade for all time to come by their
actions during the campaign for and
against the constitution. Opponents
to the instrument will be remembered
through all the years to come and the
friends Of statehood will not be slow
III getting even with any one, be he of
high or low degree, who evidences a
desire to defeatthe much cherished OBJ
ject.
Prominent women suffragists from
all over the union will be imported
here during the campaign by both
political parties to work for and advO-
cate the carrying of the proposition,
not from any fear of its defeat, but for
the prestige that success will give in
the country at large. Such "a campaign
has i'll fact already begun, the speaker
being Mrs. Clara FolZ, of San Fran
cisco, "a lawyer and a leader in the
equal suffrage movement on the Pa
cltic coast. During the summer the
leaders OF the Women's National suf-
frage association will meet i'll conven-
ton here and subsequently will stump
the state OF the more tnlckIy populated
portions thereof, delivering speeches
Ia udaCOly OF the men who conferred
upon the women of u Uah the franchise,
and pIcturing the eternal fame that
the adoption OF the instrument.