The Evening dispatch. [volume] (Provo, City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1895-04-30
PROVO CITY. APRIL 80. 1895
WHO SHALL YOTE2

Yesterday the wise men of the con-
vention were discussing the question
as to who shall vote next fall On the
adoption OF the constitution, as well as
under it, for state officers. This whole
question is up because of little am
biguity in the language Of the enabling
act. TIE DISPATCH is not a lawyer
and it is rather glad Of 1t because such
questions IS this do not bother it,
whereas, il it were, it would be In as
much Of stew as are the blessed law
yers in the convention. We do not See
tlat there can be a question as to
wJmen voting upon the adoption Of
tle constitution, Ii the women are
ever to become voters they must do so
by the provisions of that constitution
alone, and bv the act of no other au-
thority on earth. The document
framed by the convention Ia not now
any more the constitution of Utah
than 1t is of Oklahoma or Arizona and
until 1t is adopted it can not authorize
woman to vote for its adoption, or for
state officers either. 1t lie incomplete
and imperfect as constitution until
the count shall determine If it is In
fact constitution at all or not. 1t
seems to US that this reasoning, though
probably not lawyer-like, Is too plain
to be disputed by any, even the most
rabid and unreasoning suffragist of
them all. The creator may be some-
times greater than the creature, but We
are very sure the creature is never
greater than the creator, and if not,
how may he Tor she ratherl sit in
Judgment upon the creators merits AS
the voter must do when he votes aye
or nay on the question of adoption? 1t
strikes THE DISPATCH that this whole
matter is grotesqus in the extreme,
and II there were any Of the u. S. ap-
propriation remaining, we would in
evitably conclude that the discussion
was had simply to burn little more
of that s4.00 daylight. But the dele
gates are going on their own money or
else on the cloudy chance of
future legislature going back and
taking up the rGveled strans
OF finance and reimbursing them at
B)nle distant day in the future. If
the delegates are going on the latter
theory they are not fit to make con-
stiiution at all, they would be totally |
inadequate as business men for any
such task.
Then what is the hurry about this
matter OF inducting woman into full |
voting citizenship Is it because the |
friends Of suffrage are afraid of the re-
suit if the plain old untitled voters of |
the territory are alone entrusted with |
the duty OF accepting or rejec ting the |
constitutions Surely this cannot be
true, else, if it were, what are we to do |
with the oft made declaration that the |
friends of suffrage in the convention |
were but yielding to an immense and |
all-uucontrolable pressure from the /
undoubted and unquestioned suffrag-
lists on the outside? Surely they can
not really be afraid to trust that un-
comfortable force with the very first
privilege which comes up under the
duty imposed by their labors. Oris
there q good sized negro In the wood
pile somewhere, darkly and devilisblv
concealed from the public gaze. who
will rise up and stay by some super
human power the wheels of "prosress'
now flashing and scintilsting over
UtahP Or do the ladies Of Utah really j
coYet a privilege which their husbands.
fathers and brothers are unwilling
hey should enjoy? IT none of these
-hinss are true, why can't they wait I
Until the matter is settled by the legal
Foters az common sense dictatesP
Ii there is to be liberal spripklino
II female officers provided for next fall
re can understand it, bat as no such a
purpose has yet been spoken, we are s.
omPleteiy at sea as to this eageruess b
have them Vote next fall either for t.
le const tuition or state officers. &
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