The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-05-20
MAY WOMEN
VOTE THIS FALL,
Continued from page u

shall provide by ordinance for submit
ting said constitution TO the people of
said state for its ratification or rejec-
ton at an election to be held on the
Tuesday next after the first Monday in
November. 1895, at which election the
qualified voters of said proposed state
shall vote directly for or against the
proposed constitution and for or
against any provision separately sub
miuted.'
Who Are Qualified Voters.
''Now the question as to who are the
qualified voters of said proposed state
can only be determined oy the consti-
tuition framed by the convention.
Article four of the constitution on
elections and right of suffrage, pro-
vides as fellows: GSee sec. 1 and ,
quoted above)
The otherwise provided as noted
in that article is with reference to
elections Tor levying special taxes or
creating Indebtedness, etc, etc.
Now it will be seen from this that
the convention in the constitution has
liked the qualification of the voters for
the proposed state and not only this,
but has fixed the qualification of those
who shall hold office in the proposed
state
Now let us take an example: Sec
ton ! provides that the rights of citi-
Gems of the state of Utah to vote and
hold Office shall not be denied or
abridged on account of sex
Woman May Hold Office.
Suppose my wife Shall conclude
that she desires to offer herself as a
candidate for superintendent of public
instruction for the state of Utah, or for
judge of the supreme court of
Utah (and I think she would
make a better judge than 4
Wouid; and suppose she should re-
ceive at the election for state officers
more votes than any other candidate
Tor the Office for which she offered:
VINO can say that she would not be
entitled to hold the office under the
State of Utah. to which she had been
elected? Clearly she would be. If so,
Il would seem to follow as truisn
that II she is qualified to hold office
under the proposed state she is GER
tainly qualified to vote. because the
right to vote and hold Office are pro-
VIded for in the same section and
connected together by the copulative
conjunction and and one right stands
upon Just as high d ground as the
other 1t was within the power of the
constitutional convention to have
prevented this by providing that wO-
men should have the right to vote
and hold office after a given time in
the Territory of Utah, say after the
year 1900; but this has not been done
by any means. but on the contrary
she is made both a qualified Office
holder and a voter of the proposed
state in precisely the same section
and in the same sentence
Nothing New About 1t.
Having made women qualified
voters under the proposed state
then it follows that you must read
into the constitution the fourth sec
ton of the enabling act, which pro-
vides; That the qualified voters of the !
said proposed state shall vote directly |
for or against the proposed constitu- |
ton
Nor is there anything new about
this. 1t has happened many times in |
the history of the American republic |
that the very constitution which was
submitted to the people OF the pro-
posed state to be voted upon, fixed |
the qualification of the voters who /
should vote for its ratification or re-
lection, and for state officers"
George sutherIand's Opinion.
There are a great many Republicans |
who differ greatly from a great many
of the acts of the Republican major
Ity in the constitutional convention.
Among the acts which have aroused |
adverse telling in those who are indie
pendent enough to look at matters
from the standpoint of justice and ir-
respective of their influence on the
welfare of the party, was the stam-
pede whereby it was designed to shut
women off from voting. George Suth-
erland was the only Republican who
signed the opinion that women could
vote under the enabling act, but that
thought did not come up until
Republican in the convention suggest
ed it. Mr.. Sutherland still has de-
cided views on the question and his
argument is supported by his partner.
Waldemar Van Colt. Mr. Sutherland
says:
Clear on General Principles.
I'm the absence of any declaration
of Congress on the subject / think it
is clear that under a constitution con-
ferring the right of suffrage on fe-
male citizens they would have right
to vote upon the adoption or rejection
of the constitution. They would be
recognized by the fundamental law
of the proposed state as having the
right to exercise part of its sovereign
power and it would seem very fitting
that their voice should be heard upon
the question as to what form of gov
if any, they should assist in
carrying on.
Hands of the Convention Tied.
Does the enabling act affect this
l think not. The first
provision is that all male citizens of
the United States over twenty-one
years of age shall vote at the election
for delegates to the constitutional
Then follows the provi-
sion that persons authorized to vote
for such delegates may also vote for
the adoption or rejection of the con-
stitution To this extent L think the
hands of the constitutional conven-
ion were tied. The convention could
not prohibit any of this class of citi-
zens from voting upon the constitu-
ion. They are not, however, prohib-
ted from adding other classes. On
he contrary the further provision of
he enabling act is that the constitu-
ion shall be submitted TO the quail !
led voters of the proposed state. 1 I
hink clearly this refers to those
yoters who are qualified by the consti- !
ution as voters under the state goV- {
Thinks They Have the Right.
1.-THE questions now submitted In
olive the inquiry as to whether or I
lot the constitution has anywhere re- {
tricted the general language confer
ing the right of suffrage so that the {
emale citizen who is qualified gener-
lily to vote is prevented from voting :
or state officers at the first election t
nd for the adoption or rejection of =
he constitution. l think this is not
yho1lv free from doubt. But If