Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1895-09-03
As 10 woMEN vOrlAG.


with profound consciousness o' tn,
fiik Incurred In differing on a lcRa0
proposition from the Salt Lake Hsr0'd
and In all awe aud humility az be.
comes one who ventures to run counter
to the opiulons Of that Judicial colossus,
We slill make ool1 TO say that byth
good law and good sense are exhibited
In the decision Of the Territorial Sy-
pteme Court oH the question OF women
voting. The agitation cut Of which
many Of the sex were made sincerely
to believe they had the right TO volo
ON the Constitutions Wow to which
also good many men appeared to be
oonvertod-wAs unfortunate aul H.
timed To the highest JCsIoe. We nd
here TO the belief that u originated AMI
has been largely stimulated Ia polucal
ortAthor partisan anxiety TO curry isvor
and win votes-in other words thut
It was a Trick, not no plausible tut
what II was transparent, anu not ~
magnAnimUus but what us other puf.
poses could be ditcUtuod. We would
not pretend TO say that ell who have
stood for tie Affirmative side Of TIE
question Of III, wumeL's right To vote
have boon Aoluaird by unworthy or
improper motive; the q nifOvrrsy Is
undoubtedly one on which there NAV
be honest differences Of opinion.
At the samo time mauy
leading equal sulfhgisB thea
selves nave been strongly inclined to
the neg tive Of the proposition, anl
very reluctautly accepted the view
which the court now rule, to he Ia.
correct. Among these " thu NEws
itself, which yields to no party, paper
or person Ia its conviction that women
are entitled to suffrage, and Whlol has
been n consistent champion oi their
rights. As 10 Tho case Ia point, 1t has
never seemed fOr n moment admissible
that Congress In passing the enabling
act contemplated that tho voting
strength Of the commonwealth on the
adoption OF the Constitution shout be
nearly doubled at one stroke, tins eiisct
OF which would be ~ yamp all lUglti- |
mate opposition. Too s.m' doubt al |
plies AZ TO the Constitutional Convex
ton itso:--mRpy Of itS members hav.
ing since declared that la voting for
equal suffrage they had no idea Of Ru.
thoriEing the women to vote upon the |
charter which proposed to confer the
right Of the ballot L,stly, there Ia |
the overwhelming argument that no |
matter what rights or privileges the |
Constitution may confer, they can |
only become available aud may only |
be exercised when the Constitution H.
self becomes effective, whiuh cAunot
be until II Ia ratified by the legal voters
OF tho proposed state and approved by
presidential proclamation; nnd this 10
an especially powerful argument In the
present case becsuse tho beneflciarlea
Of the equal suffrage clause are dis.
unctly aud untquiyooAlly dlsiran-
chised by an existing, unropealed law
of Congress.
This appears to us to DO the common
sense Of the proposition, withou, r.
gard TO legal techuicalities or quibbles;
and hence we applaud the decision
which gives II force aud oiieot--a de.
cision which wtull undoubtedly b.
affirmed by the court OF last resort
could the case no carried that lar ia
time. OF course the vote ior the adop.
ton OF the Conrtilullnn will be much
smaller than II the women hal voted
bat will be large enough, and above
all else, II cannot be- questioned on the
ground OF legality. when the result
IL certified up to the President and he
Issues his proclamation admitting the
State Of Utah, then, aud not till then.
may the geullsr sex assert ana exercise
the priceless right conferred, nd vote
to their hearts, routen', We regnr
the decision Of the Territorial Su rome
Conr M rem vluga crave peril from
the path rf sla'ehO.d.