The Evening dispatch. [volume] (Provo, City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1895-03-28
MINORITY REPORT ON SUFFRAGE.

We surrender our editorial space this
evening to the minority report Of the
committee on suffrage. 1t is an i'm
portant paper, upon an important sub
ject and the question with which It
deals is to play very important role
in the future Of Utah:
Macintosh, Kiesel and Mcfarland
presented the following minority re-
port on the woman suffrage question,
which was ordered printed and referred
to the committee on the whole.
1.-The minority of YOUR committee on
elections and suffrage regret that they
feel it duty to disagree with the ma
jority of the committee on the question
of woman suffrage in. Utah, and beg to
present briefly their reasons for such
disagreement
I'VE do not seek to dispute in the
least the argument that in all intel
lectual attributes and attainments
women are qualified to vote as inCelli-
gently as men, except that women are
better than men; they are ruled more
readily by their sympathles, impulses
and religious convictions, and do not
realize as much as men that law is an
arbitrary and impartial machine and
knows neiCher impulse norsympathy.
But conditions are presented to US
that never confronted a people before.
The masSes of the people of Utah haYe
only just begun TO study seriously the
principles OF the government of the
United otates and the duties which
pertain to citizenship. They have
been reared in a school which taught a
sincere allegiance to a local govern
ment and in that allegiance has been
woven an absorbing affection and
pioue devotion. 1t is hard for wo-
mans nature to swiftly change when
her sympathies and sense of duty
have long controlled her in her par
ticular channel.
Again it is but few years since the
congress of the United States thought
it necessary to withdraw this privilege
from the women Of Utah, because in
the friction between the nation and
the ruling power in Utah, the sympa-
thies and devotion of the women, all
bending in one direction, in the judg
ment of congress made it necessary to
take suffrage from her in order to be-
gin to place this territory in harmony
with the union under the laws.
"a widespread fear prevails that with
the privilege restored, the old oyer
whelming force would destroy the
present equality Of parties which al
ways leads to confusion, If not tyranny
and awaken terrible temptation on
the part of those who ruled before to
resume their sway by working upon
the generous impulses and religious
instincts of women, which would re-
suit in political, if not social, business
ostracism of the minority.
This feeling is not {, only ~, Tid"ss5 Syans 5aoa
spprehensions and forebodings through
out the nation at large.
''As people we are poor. We need
the strong arms and the capital of the
more thickly settled portions of our
country.
ITO adopt the report of the majority
will be to keep both away until the un-
necessary experiment shall be tried.
But it is not on selfish grounds that we
interpose this report. We are looking
not only to the prosperity, but to the
future peace of this region. Surely
no one desires return to the conten-
tions which prevailed here only seven
years ago. As true citizens, none OF
US can look forward with anything but
apprehension to the possible plac-
ing OF the entire power of the govern
ment Of the new state in the hands of
a power in our midst which might
easily, under statehood, become omni-
potent.
I'VE are reminded of the pledges of
the respective political platforms. We
do not forget them, but we remember
likewise that all platforms are changed
from year to year and we are forced to |
take cognizance Of the fact that most |
decided change of thought has been |
wrought on the people of this territory
on this particular subject since they |
began to seriously contemplate the |
possible results of the carrying out of |
the will of the majority of the commit
tee.
Why not permit the question which
is making so much unrest in the |
thoughts of men to be held in suspen-
sion for the present?
With the adoption Of the constitu
tlon, a Legislature will speedily be con-
yened, the members of that body will |
come directly from the people, Why
not leave the question to them?
1--WE respectfully oppose the report of
the majority of your committee, and
recommend that the suffrage of women
be- kept out Of the constitution"
After such a plea as the above we
cannot see how the convention can
possibly refuse to let the matter go
over for the consideration of some
future legislature which, with the
added experience of a few years in the
union, they would be enabled to ad-
ust with broader chance of serving
The interests of Utah better. 1t is true
here is big majority in the conven-
jlon In favor of the suffrage article, but :
hat is no sound reason why the article
must so in. When majorities cease
o be tyrannicsl they should Ee omni-
,otent, but not till then. Give us a
ew years experience with stated ood :
efore calling upon US to decide such a l
uestion as this. Let the fair ladies of /
Utah not be in too big hurry. The
ause of the just never goes out of date,
ever passes the limit, and it can be
AIKEN up any time.