The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-02-12
THE TALE TOLD BY A VOTE
Assemblymen Declare in Favor
of Woman's Suffrage
REID LED 4 FoRLoRN HOPE
Debate on an Important Legislative
Measure
How the Announcement of the Vote That
Places Ladies' Nearer the Goal Of
Enfranchisement Was Received.

Sacramento, Feb. 1.-THE Assembly
held its first evening session tonight, and
drew bigger crowd than either of the
Sacramento theaters. The woman suf-
frage bill was on file as special order.
Promptly at 7:30 o'clock the Assembly
was called to order. Speaker Lynch an
nounced that the question was on Reid's
amendment to the Spencer bill. This
amendment was to strike out the first
section of the Spencer bill and insert in
stead the first section of the existing law
governing the qualifications of voters.
This amendment would kill the bill.
Swisler of Eldorado was first recognized.
He stated that all previous arguments on
the bill had been based largely on senti-
ment. If sentiment were to rule, he said,
there could be no doubt that the decision
would be in woman's favor. But it was
not matter of sentiment, he declared,
and the discussion must be brought
down to a question OF law-good law or
bad law He was convinced, he said, that
the law proposed by Judge Spencer would
be unconstitutional. He argued that the
Constitution expressly stipulated those to
whom the elective franchise might be ex-
| tended and that any act of the Legisla-
ture going beyond the limitations of the
state Constitution would be unconst-
tutional.
Bledsoe of Humboldt argued that there
was an honest difference of opinion as to
the law points involved, and that mas
much as the general sentiment of the
people was in favor of the proposed law,
hoo tha 1,,txr &c ! I
pass the bill and to leave the finer points
of constitutional law to be settled by
the judicial department of the Govern
| ment.
Bledsoe read the platform adopted by
the last Republican State convention in
favor of woman suffrage. He then paid
an eloquent tribute to the Republican
party, the party to which he had belonged,
he said, until machine kicked him out,
and in conclusion he urged the Repub-
lican members to stand by their party's
pledge and pass the bill.
McKelvey of Orange said he was afraid
the Republican members were drifting
away from the question at issue. There
might be a question of sentiment, he
said, but with him it was wholly ques-
ton of party politics He urged the Re-
| publicans to live up to their pledges.
Reid of Trinity, as author of the
amendment under discussion, was recog-
nized to close the debate. He read ex-
| tracts from the constitutional debates of
1879 to show it was the express intention
of the constitutional convention to deprive
women of the right to vote. He then
read the record of NJ NJ. Estee, late Re
publican candidate for Governor, as an
opponent of woman suffrage in the con-
stitutional convention. He declared that,
had the Republicans elected their candi-
date for Governor, he could not have
signed this woman suffrage bill without
going back ON his record.
That's just the reason he was not
elected" shouted Spencer.
Reid then went on to declare that the
women did not want to vote. He stated
that the wives of two Republican Assem-
blymen had been to him and expressed
| hope that he would succeed in his efforts
to defeat the bill, for their husbands, they
said, were crazy on the subject.
Continuing, Reid said: "Notwithstand-
ing that this is woman suffrage night, and
the women are here in great numbers, l
am satisfied that the majority of them
and nearly all of them outside of one lit
tie clique here on one side of the cham
Der, are opposed to woman suffrage"
| Loud applause.
Imme diately upon the conclusion sof
Reids remarks, Hatfield, Pendleton and
| Staley moved the previous question and
it was the order, the question being on
the adoption of Reid's amendment, which
would kill the BILL 1t was apparent at
once that the Republican vote was to be
| divided. The Democrats, however, seemed
to be solid with Reid against the bill.
Mccarthy OF San Francisco was the first
Democrat to vote on the other side I'M
mediately afterward o Day of San Fran
cisco voted mo" and there was loud
applause. These were the only two Dem
Gratis who voted with the woman suffrag-
| lists. When the Clerk had concluded the
roll call it was clear that the women had
won victory. Then came a scramble on
the part of doubtful members to get I'M
| der cover After six of them had changed
| their votes from aye to no, the result was
announced. By vote of forty -eight noes
to twenty three ayes the Reid amendment
had been killed. There was tremendous
and prolonged applause. Then by an al
most unanimous viva voce vote the bill
was ordered engrossed and put upon its
third reading and final passage. The bill
takes its place ON the general file, whers
about fifty other bills are ahead of it, and
| it is probable that a final vote ON the
passage of the measure will not be reached
| during the present week.