The herald., 1896-10-31
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! WOMAN SUFFRAGE 1
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TO VOTERS

The present suffrage law of California
(see section 1, article 2, of state consti-
tution) reads as follows:
"Every native male citizen OF the Unit
ed States. every male person who snail
have acquired the rights of citizenship
under or by virtue of the treaty OF Quere-
taro, and every naturalized male citizen
thereof who shall have become such
ninety days prior to any election OF the
age of twenty-one years who shall nave
been resident of the state one year next
preceding the election and of the county
in which he claims his vote ninety days,
and in the election precinct thirty days,
shall be entitled to vote at all elections
which are now or may hereafter be au-
thorized by law; provided no native OF
China, no idiot. no insane person no per-
son convicted of any Infamous crime, no
person hereafter convicted of the en-
bezzlement or misappropriation of pub
lie money, and no person who shall not
be able to read the constitution in the
English language, and write his name
shall ever exercise the privileges of an
elector in this state; provided that the
provisions of this amendment relative
to an educational qualification shall not
apply to any person prevented by phys.
ical disability from complying with its
acquisitions, nor to any person who now
has the right to vote, nor to any person
who shall be sixty years of age and up
wards at the time this amendment shall
take effect"
If the pending amendment is carried
November 9, the only change it will make
in the above will be to strike out the
word male" and thereby secure to the
women Of California the right to vote
on equal terms with men.
No question before the American peo-
pie today is attracting more attention
than the woman suffrage question. Es-
pecially is this the case in California
as a constitutional amendment, grant
ing to California women the right of full
suffrage is to be submitted to the peo-
ple-the voting people. which means
only men-in November, 1896. The
amendment will be designated upon the
ballots as number eleven mo. ID, 1t be-
ing the result of q resolution passed by
the assembly, concurred in by the sen.
N'e cf c''r last Legislature, and approved
March 16, 1895. The proposed amend
meat is printed III the statutes of Cal
iforria for the year 1895 page 453
The amendmentreads the same as arti-
Gle 2, section 1, of the amended consti-
tuition of California, except the word
person" is substituted for male" the
words "he or she" for che" and the
words 'his or her" for his" Should
this amendment carry in 1896 it places
women in all political matters in the
same condition as men. If it receives
a ma jority of the votes cast for or against
1t at the next general election, it will
become part of our constitution with
out further proceedings, and the amend
ed article will read as follows:
Section 1. Every native citizen of the
United States, every person who shall
have acquired the rights of citizenship
under or by virute of the treaty Of
Queretaro, and every naturalized citi-
zen thereof who shall have become such
ninety days-prier to any election, of the
age of Il years, who shall have been a
resident of the state one year next pre-
ceding the election, ard Of the county in
which he or she claims to vote ninety
days, and in the election precinct thirty
days, shall be entitled to vote a all cleo
tions which are now or may hereafter
be authorized by law; provided, no ma
tive Of China Eo idiot, insane person, or
person convicted Of any infamous crime,
and no person hereafter convicted of the
embeZzlement or misappropriation of
public money and, and no person who
shall not be able to read the constitu-
ton in the English language and write
his or her own name, shall ever exercise
the privilege of an elector il, this state;
provided, that the provisions of this
amendment relative to an educational
qualification shall not apply to any per-
son prevented by physical disability
from complying with its requisitions,
nor to any person who now has the right
to vote, nor to any person who shall be
so years of age and upward at the time
this amendment shall take effect.
The educational clause is in
accordance with the educational amend
ment passed or carried at our last gen.
eral election. No woman will be al
lowed to vote under this amendment
article 2. section l, no matter how old
unless she can read the constitution and
write her own name. Thus is removed
one of the old fears and objections in re.