The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-04-14

diency or inexpediency of woman suf-
frage, for that has been settled by
placing the equal suffrage article in
the body of the constitution. If it
should be re-opened by back action
on the part of the convention, that
will be another thing, and the con-
tention will be carried to every nook
and corner of the territory. But just
now that is unnecessary and we hope
it will not be revived.
As to the propriety Of backward
step by the convention there is much
dispute. Petitions have rolled in from
the advocates of either side. AS far
as numbers are concerned, the i'm
mense majority to date are for the re-
tention of the article in the constitu-
ton. That has caused some folks on
the other side to exhibit anger and re-
sort TO Misrepresentation. In order to
correct a wrong impression created by
a letter from Sanpete to the Salt Lake
Tribune, we publish by special re-
quest the following reply, which
comes from an able and reliable
source.
1t will not help either party to be-
little or abuse the other Whatever
may be the merits or dement's of the
suffrage movement itself, its enemies
must concede, or if they do not now
they will before long, that the major
ity of Utah's people favor the insertion
of the article in the constitution, and
are also believers in the principle it
embodies. 1t will be just as well.
then, to be fair and not false in sup
porting the views of the minority.
The letter here produced is a refuta-
ton OF incorrect assertions:
Manti, April 10th.
Editor Salt Lake Herald:
I desire to call your attention to an
anonymous letter from this city bear
ing date of April 9Th in the today's
issue of the Salt Lake Tribune, which
contains some extraordinary state
mentS in relation to the suffrage
movement which are so utterly false
and manifestly abused as to be I'M
worthy of more than passing no.
tice.
1T is true that the ladies of this
city have exercised the right of petit
ton in protesting against separate
submission of the suffrage clause, but
they have done so on their own re-
sponsibility in connection with the
Territorial Suffrage association. and
no man, or set of men, has either ad-
Yised or assisted them.
The leading men of the Mormon
church were all absent at the time at
tending conference and they did not
even know that the petition against
separate submission was content
plated. Consequently their sigma
lures were not ATTACHED.
On the contrary the petition was
signed by influential citizens, nom
members of the Mormon church, both
Republican and Democrat, who could
hardly be suspected of being in league
with the ladies in a scheme to defeat
statehood.
While it is possible that the suff-
rage ladies may harRor the sentiment
that statehood without equal suffrage
Is lasting dishonor to the men of Utah
in consideration of the freely offered
pledges of both parties. yet they have
no assurance that the feeling is
shared by any number of men whose
political rights are secure in any
event.
In fact, it may transpire that the
men of Utah are less magnanimous
than the men of Wyoming, who re-
fused statehood without equal suff-
rage.
interviewed by the Tribune writer
and the petition signed by less than
100 men and women sent by the edl-
tor of the Messenger, will form
hopeless minority in comparison TO
the hundreds of names sent by the
friends of suffrage.
Furthermore, the writer emphatic"
ally denies that any threats or intl11li-
dation has been used in the canvass.
Ladies and gentlemen have been cour-
teously invited to sign the petition,
and in the very few instances where
signatures were refused mo- further So
licitation was made.
And so far as the alleged attack on
the Messenger Office is concerned, ana
the implied accusation that suffragists
are responsible, it is preposterous and
ridiculous that denial is unnecessary.
Those who are forwarding the cause
of equal suffrage in this city are IN
telligent, law-abiding people, who are
believers in free speech and free
press and who, under no circumstance,
would countenance or advise mob Vio-
lence, even under greater prOvocatioh
than the case in point, and If amy
thing of the kind has occurred it has
been done by irresponsible parties I'M
known TO the officers of the Suffrage
association. COnsc 1uently the editor
of the Messenger and his Office are
in no danger from the ladies.
SUFFRAGIST.