The herald., 1896-03-18

The presence of Miss Susan B. Anthony
In the state for the purpose of advocating
the ratification by the people, at the next
general election, of the constitutional
amendment dispensing with a sex qualifi-
cation in electors, has stimulated anew the
discussion of the subject of woman
suffrage. The amendment in question is
known as assembly constitutional amend.
ment number l 1, and was adopted by the
legislature March 16, 1898, and is to Sec
ton l of article 2 of the state constitution.
It reads:
"Every native citizen of the United
States, every person who shall have ac-
Quired the rights of citizenship under or by
virtue of the treaty of Queretaro, and every
naturalized citizen thereof who shall have
become such ninety days prior to any cleo
ton, of the age of 81 years, who shall
have been resident of the state one year
next preceding the election, and of the
county of which he or she claims to 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 authorized by law; provided, no native
Of China. no idiot, insane person. or per-
son convicted OF any Infamous crime, and
no person hereafter convicted of embezzle-
ment or misappropriation of public money,
and no person who shall not be able to read
the constitution in the English language,
and write his or her own name, shall ever
exercise the privileges of an elector in this
stote; provided, that the provisions of this
amendment relative to an educational
qualification shall not apply to any person
prevented by physical disability from
complying with it's requisitions, nor to any
person who has now the right to vote, nor
to any person who shall be 90 years of age
and upward at the time this amendment
shall take effect.'
If this amendment receives a majority
ct the votes cast at the election to be held
next November it will become part of the
constitution without further proceedings.
The changes it would make in the present
constitutional provision covering the quail
dcations of electors consist in the elimina-
ton of the word "male," the substitution
Of the words ''he or she' for "he" and of
s'his or her" for ''his.''
The HERALD has been requested by both
friends and opponents of the proposed
amendment to permit a discussion of the
same through its columns, and in COM
pliance with that request has already
published several communications on
The subject. To the end that the
matter. which is certainly one of
exceeding Importance, shall receive fur
ther and more systematic treatment by
both sides to the controversy The HERALD
wAl, for a limited time, maintain in the
Sunday issues of the paper a department
devoted exclusively to the discussion of the
proposed amendment. Not exceeding two
columns of space in each issue will be
given to this department, which will be
commenced the ensuing Sunday. Con-
tributions thereto must not exceed 500
words, written legibly. on one side of the
paper only. They will be published in the
order that they are received, and should be
addressed ''Amendment," Editorial De-
partment THE HERALD. Wade in, and
bear in mind that the shortest commune
cations will be the most widely read.