The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-26
MRs. JOHNSON ANsNERs Mns. HARPER
School Suffrage In Merely n Legislative Dele
ration OF Power-women Voting On Ohio.

school Suffrage In Merely n Legislative Dele
Cation OF Power-women Voting In Ohio.
To THE EDITOR OF The suN-Sir. In your
issue OF Sunday, T,b. IL. Ida Harper says:
Tho article Of Helen Kendrick johnson In
THE Sun OF Jan. 20 contains come remarkable
statements. One OF these is that the States
which have been first 10 grant school suffrage
to women are those which hnve most persist
emily and emphatically withheld from her con-
stitutional suffrage" And Ida Harper adds.
Intending to convey the Idea that the States
which have tried partial suffrage for women
have refused TO increase It," l am not in the
habit OF writing in an iuterential manner.
What i said, as plainly as my
OF language and my space would per-
NIT. was TO the effect that school suffrage
IL not partial suffrage at all In the
sense Of being a step in the direction of con-
stitutional suffrage: but that tho facts in re-
gard to both the giving and the withholding of
school suffrage serve to point out the wide gulf
recognized by lawmakers between the dele
gated vote that can be swept away by the
Legislatures elected by the constitutional
voters and the sovereign vote which is eNer-
ctsed by those constitutional voters only. Ida
Harper then says: I'm 1851 Kansas gave
school suffrage to women. and In 1897 OK
tended to Thorn municipal suffrage 1t would
appear that she does not know that municipal
SuuraRO If Out hnOJner form OF ucleRateu
power. And In proof l quote the following from
the Kansas City MOI Times OF Feb. .. 1890:
1t seems to DO the general opinion that women
have no voice in the naming Of the officers Of the
two city courts, although Commissioner of Elections
King IL somewhat undecided about IL. The law
gives the female suffrage only upon municipal or
school matters, and as the courts belong to the town
dietpion I Of ia Justice cour Is IL tGi"a .enera 4 r seceptsd that
only the male voters will have a say In the selection
The two CITY courts in Kansas city. Kan; were
Kansas City township were abolished. The frst
spring a Constable %as elected for each cbhe Of IN" courts iTts
at the regular city election and women were not
c mmisstoner OF Elections King expressed his
doubt some weeks ago In the Tine rcgardtng tho
was 2 probability that they might be entitled to Vote
f Msr the m sS"rtf 0tiioi nt;ct taking i r for s lamsnu NIT they
city, said Judge King Sesterdav; 1T is not a town.
tees Of the Peace and ronstabios. GENERALLY speak
ing, tits not a township. IT has no township orruni-
atownship office where no township eristsP Are not
The city courts in fact City Gfice + If not, why not
ing Judges OF the city cnurts-for no other purpose
" CitY C,ers YoaGar, "ihc VII III srr'nso the Official
ballot. says that he is under the. inpre. sion that
many prominent attorneys who wc.o asked their
opinion regarding The point DIN, raised by Judge King
is no ground for the argument that the courts are
not township offices.
The great care taken not to allow the munich
pal vote to encroach IN, the lcas: upon, the con-
stitutional vote: even If n special Legislative act
had brought them into such relation as to
cause Legal confusion. is most suggestive.
Ida Harpor, also. says am wrong IN my fig
tCievclandi,, o., and, in disrroof she uuotes
letter from Mr.. Edward Horn. Secretary of the
Board Of Elections OF that city. respecting tho
l could give many vouchers for my state;
ment. hut deem that one is sufficient l find
that m nunrnE TIfnr IN fDrfDhp,. 1SlI TuL
Sun ior Oct. %, 1897. under tn" caption.
"Womnn-sufrragc Fizzle in cleveland, printed
the following telegram:
c ,Evtr,Sp. o.. oct. 2h,7,The result of REGISTRATION
in this conn Y as tnbnlated a. caused tn q yeland
10 abolish fems e snh az in " state. only gSty:
two wrmen rngi -, I'd 1nring he emf e fon, daysoff
interest in elections 70 far as women are concerned.
OF the spring voting Of that year President
said: We wore compelled TO provide 200.000
ballots and new registration books. and yet
SaIv 400 q t Fssist |afcl ~ Rnd ; 22s E? 3 200 r hs t &,
was the amount it. cost the city to receive
them" He added that. We're he a member Of
the Legislature, he should work for the repeal
It appears. that dread OF the repeal of the
4.S$l from 2OO,odm qualified voters. Nothing
could better emphnsize my point that the
school vote is. from its luctuation. a menace to
the schools.
Ida Harner also criticises my statement that
Chicago UNIVERSITY: Tho. ex planation is that l
intended to write illinois University"
As to the vote for the trustees Of that %institu-
ton. the Chicago Illustrated Ne,rS of Nov. Is,
1S',. after recording that the Illinois Equal
Suffrage Association had lust elected eleven
officers. says: If the Equal Suffrage Associa-
tion really embraces eleven members. or even
more. as these reports suggest. why doesn't
| the membership turn out en- masSe at some OF
these elections and cast its ballots for the uni
yersitv trustees? The ladies ought to vote as
they associate"
As school statistics are again In order. let me
add n new item. which is OF special interest. in
view of Gov, Rooseyelt,s statement that school
suffrage has worked well in Oyster Bay"
in answer To a letter of inquiry Principal C.. A.
Woodward of Oyster Bay SAYS: No woman
has voted at a regular sciCo! meeting. At one
or two special meetings n limited number have
awaited themselves nj the privilege"
HELEN kENDRICK JOHNSON.