The morning call., 1895-02-12
Republicans Redeem Their Ante.
Election Promises.
IL HAS BEEN A HARD STRUGGLE.
The Leaders Of the Movement Believe
That They Can Almost See
the BalIot.BOX.

first skirmish. Tonight the proposed
amendment of Reid (D) of Weaverville to
restrict the voting privilege to males was
beaten by vote of 4S to 33. The victory
was gained by hard fighting and number
of votes were won over in the debates of
the evening, that of McKelvey of Orange,
which showed that the suffrage
plank was an important feature of the Re-
publican platform being particularly tell
ing. Bledsoe of Humboldt also did good
work in protesting against members acting
as judges of constitutional question upon
which eminent lawyers were divided
There were really fifty-one votes in favor of
the passage of the bill. Powers of San
Francisco, Laird of Shasta and Weyse OF
Los Angeles were all paired with absent
Democratic members and were excused
from voting. All these members would
have voted against Reid's amendment and
for the bill.
AS it requires fifty-four votes to suspend
the rules, no attempt was made to have
the bill taken up for third reading at once.
In consequence, it has gone to the engross-
ing clerk, and will take its place on the
file with the other bills awaiting a third
reading.
There were only six absentees when the
House was called to order Every chair on
the floor was occupied for almost every
member was accompanied by lady. The
gallery, too, was packed by spectators in
terested in the debate they knew was to
ensue. As soon as the gavel fell demand
ing the attention of the House a motion
was made for the previous question by
some mischievous Republicans, who knew
Reid of Weaverville was to lead the attack
of the Democrats and noticed that his chair
was vacant.
eff there are no more members who wish
to speak on this question" the Speaker
began, 81 will"
"Hold on there" cried Reid, as he hur-
ried down the aisle ''I've got something
to say about this" and he fastened breath
less to his seat. He might have fingered
longer, though.
Swisler of Ell Dorado was on his feet de-
manding recognition. Bachman of Fresno
was also striving to make his anything but
diminutive person seen. Swisler first
caught the Speaker eye, but was about to
yield to Bachman when the latter took his
seat. Swisler then argued that while he
was inclined to do everything legal to as
sist in the enfranchisement of women, he
felt that to vote for an amendment to the
bill under consideration would be futile.
He had reached this decision because in
other Legislatures it had been decided that
a constitutional change was necessary. He
touched many constitutional arguments,
but concluded that the best he could do
was to vote for a constitutional amendment.
Bledsoe protested against Swisler taking
upon himself not only the legislative but
also the judicial function of the govern
ment "When such eminent lawyers as
the gentlemen from Los Angeles and others
on the floor believe that this movement is
constitutional, he said, "the mem Der from
Ell Dorado has no right to decide. There
is nowhere in the Civil Code a provision
that gives him the right to act as a Judge
in the case. Our functions are to legislate.
If this bill is passed woman will in few
days demand to be registered. The right
will be disputed, and within three months
the Supreme Court will have given the
required decision. If l belonged to that
great and grand party to which, belonged
boldt paused for word. He hesitated
only an instant, then he finished: Before
the machine kicked me out; if 1 belonged
to the party to which the gentleman from
Ell Dorado belongs, l would consider it my
duty to keep the pledges made in the plat
FORM"
The speaker recounted the history of the
Republican party. He counted the steps
by which it had attained its noble
eminence. 1t had reached it's proud
supremacy by the keeping OF pledges.
McKelvey of Orange County urged that
the question was not one of sentiment, but
of party policy. He did not blame the
Democrats for working against the propo-
sition. 1t was to their interest to defeat
measure the Republican party had pledged
itself to pass. ''Vote for this bill, the
speaker urged, "then let the Supreme
Court decide If the bill is found uncon-
stitutional by the Supreme Court you will
have redeemed your pledges and no harm
will be done. We cannot afford to allow
our Democratic friends to say we do not
keep our promises
Reid of Weaverville was the next
speaker. lie urged tHaI every member
who voted for bill he believed unconsti-
tutional violated the oath taken when he
entered upon his duties. Reid then read
from the account of the proceedings of tile
constitutional convention of 1879 to dis
prove the argument Of Spencer, who
claimed that the sections regarding suf-
frage were constructed in order that
woman should not be forbidden the right
to vote, Under the contention of his
opponents Reid urged that children and
men who had only been in the county
day had a right to vote because they were
not expressly forbidden from voting. He
then quoted a decision by Judge Wallace
OF the Supreme Court, which stated that
woman had not the right of voting.
''Does the decision say the Legislature
shall not pass bill allowing her to vote"
asked Spencer of Lassen.
ut does not, !" was the answer. Neither
does it say that children shall not vote"
Mr. Reid, in conclusion, protested that
his standing was not partisan. He urged
that he lifted his voice against what he be-
lieved was wrong. He was speaking for
what the women of his county wanted and
what number of the wives of some of the
Assemblymen had told him they wanted,
althouph thar brehapds rafIlspd to acnado