Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-02-08


should be discontinued; and this mes
age was received and ratified by the
body of the Church at the ensuing
gel eral conference, and II has since been
observed as an inspired revelation oil
the will OF God for the guidance OF the
Church In practical religious duty.
The following provision OF the Con-
sttulion OF our new State for the pre-.
vcnion OF polygamy,is now In force and
Is irreyocable without the consent OF the
United States and the people OF THIS
State.
Perfect federation Of religious senii-
mcnt is guaranteed. No inhabilant OF
this State shall ever be molestcd In
person or property on account OF his or
her mode OF religious worship but
polygamous OF plural marriages are for
ever prohibited" Article J.
In Section ?. Article az, OF the Con.
stitution, II Is provided.
"The act OF the Governor and Legs.
lalive Assembly OF the Territory Of
Utah, entitled, AN act to punish poly.
gamy and other kindred oiienses,"
approved February 9TH, a. D. 1894 in
so far as the same defines and imposes
penalties for polygamy, IS hereby de.
clared to be In force in the State OF
Utah"
The act referred to In the Constitution
defines and Furnishes polygamy in the
most emphatic and unmistakable Ian.
guage, and has become part OF the
organic law OF the State.
When the old Liberal and Peoples
parties Of Utah were dissolved in 1890,
and the people pledged themselves into
parties representing national Issues
Democrats and Republicans neither
party could safely ignore the fixed sent.
ment OF fixed majority Of the people
in behalf OF womans suffrage. Neither
party could hope TO succeed In opposing
H. II had become too deeply imbedded
IN the political consciousness and aspra-
tons Of the people. Hence, when the
parties came to frame their local plat.
forms they bot1,Tccognizs ID this underly-
ing sentiment. The issue was fully dis.
cussed by the speakers Of both parties
in the canvass OF 1894 Tor the election OF
delegates to the Constitutional Conven-
ton. Equal suffrage was doctrine OF
both party platforms, and there was no
speaker that raised his voice against IL.
although there were many people Of
both parties and sexes thatwere opposed
to equal Suffrage as q matter VI personal
preference, aud there was a smaller
number that held to woman's suffrage
on general principles, but were opposed
to is adoption In Utah.
Hence, Il was with general acques.
cence in woman's suffrage that the dele
gates elected by the Two parties assem-
Dled IN Constitutional Convention.
The Republicans had majority OF the
io7 delegates. The plank oi their plat.
form is as follows;
1--WE favor the granting OF Equal Sui.
iragc to women"
The Democratic plank Is as follows:
The Democrats Of Utah are uneuui-
vocally IN favor OF Woman Suffrage, and
the political rights aud privileges Of
women equal with those OF men, includ-
ing eliigiblit 10 Office, and we demand
that such guarantee shall be provided In
the Constitution Of the State OF Utah as
will secure to the women OF Utah these
irestimable rights"
Strange to say, 1t was thought at first
that there would be no necessity for
women to assert their claims or urge
their rights upon the Convention, as no
opposition had developed, and both par
ties were pledged IN theirpla,iorms to in.
corporate equal suffrage Ia the Constitu-
ton. But soon alter the Convention
met It became apparent that no effort or
pfecau,ion could be omitted without
lmperllling the cause.
Organized opposition against woman
suffrage was mads by the Liquor inter.
est whose approximations as to prohibit
DRY legislature were arosed by the sup
posed hostility OF the woman vote.
The opposition thus inaugurated became
the nucleus around which all the diver.
slhed forms OF aniagonism was gathered
but the moral sense Of the people was
compelled TO recognize tile fact that the
woman vote was antagonized because
OF the fear that II would abolish the
drink traffic. In this way our cause
received a strong reinforcement from
the temperance sentiment OF Utah,
which has always been very pronounced
against the vices OF drunkenness.
a memorial to the Convention was
prepared and signed by the official re.
personalities OF the suffrage associations
OF the relief societies, general and local.
and by large number OF the leading
women OF the territory. The memorial.
lists went in a body to the convention
chamber and presented their petition.
which was read with due courtesy and
deliberation, and referred to the com.
mlttee ON elections and rights Of suffrage.
On a subsequent day set for the pur-
pose large number Of women met at
the capitol building, and, by number
OF chosen speakers, presented their
cause TO the committee with the final
Result that the committee embodied
all that was asked in their report to the
Convention, this being worded in the
language OF the Wyoming constitution
as follows:
That the rights OF the citizens OF the
State OF Utah to vote and hold Office
snail not be denied or abridged on ac-
count OF sex. Both male and female
ct zens OF this state shall equally enjoy
all civil, political and religious rights
and privileges"
a minority of two members reported
IN opposition OF equal suffrage. The re-
port was shfewdiy conceived in a way
mat enlisted large share OF sympathy
from the former Liberal element in Utah
politics, II represented that the woman
mind was largely actuated by sentiment
ana sympathy, and that women In
politics would greatly augment the
sphere OF church influence, and thus
become menace to public welfare and
independent government. Such an Is.
sue could not be otherwise than vital
! might say inilammable-one in Utah.
Wnen the subject was taken up In the
convention the debate was extremely
ehima'ed and the interest was greatly
enhanced by the presence Of many
women, who felt a profound interest In