The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-29
leAINsr WOMAN sUFrnAeE
objection to Further Extension OF the
school Suffrage.

10 THE bDITOh OF IhE puN|pV "
Roosevelt In his message has so far expressed
himself favorable to further experiment in the
extension OF the suffrage to woman rs TO make
It imperative for those who oppose that further
extension to set forth their reasons. II has
been assumed that he referred only to school
suffrage. although an interview with him
represented him as making n broader state
ment. There can be no further extension OF
school suffrage in this State that shall not
! grant women full constitutional suffrage here.
As n matter OF fact, the very States which
have been first to grant school suffrage are
those which have most persistently and en-
phatically withheld from her constitutional
suffrage. The school system Is usually created
by the Legislature, and a simple Legislative act
can change II. Wherever this Is not the case.
and the school officers are provided for by the
State Constitution. the suffrage for such officers
is not extended to women. For instance. the
Supreme Court OF this state. in 1892. held that
School Commissioners are constitutional
officers. within Article H., part 1, of the Con-
stitution, and. consequently, the law OF 1892.
giving women the right to vote for them, 10
void" The office Of School Commissioner was
created after tho adoption Of the Constitution.
and IL was. therefore,. urged that the Con-
%stitution did not bear upon 1t, but
the Supreme Court decided further that
the law gave the Legislature the right
to appoint or to elect the Commissioner and as
they had decided that the office should be cleo
tive. the women could not vote for that office.
Under the new Constitution of 1894, the Leg
islature is made competent to deal with the
entire free school system. and women can vote
for public school officers. Commissioner In
cluded. The Commissioner is no longer a con-
stitutional officer. The Supreme Courts OF
Massachusetts. Michigan. Iowa, Illinois. Ne
braska. Ohio and Kansas have made decisions
similar to the one quoted from New York.
Thatof Ohio reads 1894: THE act comforting
upon women the right to vote at election OF
certain school officers is valid, such right being
within the legislature power to provide
for the maintenance Of public schools. and
not within Article ". part l. Of the Constitu-
ton. which limits the right to male citizens"
The situation in Kansas best shows the rad
ical difference between constitutional and
school suffrage. In that State women have
full municipal suffrage: but the Supreme
Court decided that women could vote for
School Treasurer. which was a charter office,
but could not vote for County sunerintenden{
for in the Constitution. for which only male
voting was competent.
a property qualification attached; that makes
no Inference. The differonce is the essen
tial one between sab d eli ,St co1 p9E Y HTi6 and fSo hoy
lot may lie no appeal eScert to force. That
this is the meaning is evident. because; SO
arc concerned, women were as competent
to vote for School Commissioner when that
a legislative Office. The candidate might be
the same man in eithercase. The truth is that
has not touched the vital principle which lies
at the root OF republican goyernment-name-
~ hcw that It if IT, s9 ihdiR R2R noi Of ei tfzSiItty To '' ssa iR ' it's
fundamental laws. Every man, Is expected to
sustain the Constitution with his iite, il need
L. lt.. ara It ~ fNF n and nlyllvnh
p pSr!i9nT ti'T IN their behalf. ana. therefore.
ff forms "f of s sSf t!sH that d iieeS!'' Involve tie
service. The States which grant them full
,prous to free institutions. As the matter
stands. women could do vast amount OF good
at comparat ,yely little %xpfnd II Ire. OF = ti ! p etS Snq
necessary duty as the brinEers-up Of children.
II they voted at school elections. But they do
not-perhaps they cannot-add. this work to
their other tasks as a constant duty. The evil
OF having our public school interests at the
mercy Of sudden and uninformed cnthueiasms.
and as sudden lapses. cannot be estimated.
7 he system followed in our own and, other
large cities. of appointment by the Mayor.
gives free opportunity for efficient work by
Women have always been eligible to hold
sending children 70 school has one school vote.
so that if the husband votes the wife does not:
Single women in charge of school children may
presented to the new LeEtisIqtnre. 1t is known
away with the weaker district schools. and to
provide for larger: better G9uiIp"d ones; in
advantage Of the best modern methods Of in
ST ruction at least cost to the town. Children
who Nigh, he prevented from n m r altGn Enat ,6 BY
forth free. This system works tinrlyi in ,Massa-
chnsetts. The schools would he under the
elected by the whole township at the fall elecg-
tons. This would, do away with, the woman,s
vote ,or village and district school trustees. &c;
The State Woman's Suffrage Association passed
the following resolution concerning it:
This sss2s,eaop ,k il Opposed t to the RI ,6st .2 2f tns
this measure become a law, We should lose the
school ballot, which we now enjoy.
The spirit which makes tho mere fact of
woman suffrage the ,snprrme c0nsiderntion
never seems to regard flnnl benefits at large:
lhit t stot gu c@n s9i4a9 nriSe scbd nfV su fIs woa q 1Tiiv i.
ltgc. and have they used i? Mr.. Charles r.
Skinner. State SnperintendHnt OF Public II
Suffrage Association protested he replied that
there was little evidence that women wished
opencd headquarters for election. work. and
sent drummers into every district in the State.
cemher meeting "a large vote in August last.
the number Of women voting sometimes ex-
G e istrrnf. that Wom 0f Ghe v mfm; 1 for The n mf arst cG fhimmerrSS
4 lette!E. Just sob received meat iron 0gs ME; Sk!Rbn n,if
the State we find that less than , per
cent. d the women takGG advantage Of
the rover s TO to vote ew a At 1 fSh2ol r-I meGIir ! Ws G Gmi
1bTTPl ny tlt INV VI I''E TA'A' ~ NV"
that there Is not a large attendance of women
at the annual school meetings in the state un-
less some question Of uncommon local interest
arises" Mrs. W. ]. Ballard Of Jamaica. /. l..
wife Of the superintendent OF Schools Of Long
Island. SAYS: Very little or, no Interest, h4s
heen taken in the matter by the women ofthis
town. On one or two occasions, whore there
was an important issue at stake. they have
voted in considerable numbers. Five years
ago there was opposition to the appropria-
women voted in favor OF, the appropriation:
From what have been told ] think that what
is true OF jana ca is true Of the other towns on
the island. hut | cannot speak positively"
In other States the same hing IS true. When
there has been a local, eNcitem"ntIespecially
a s~ectarian~ one-thcre has been a sudden rush
o. voters AT n single election. Here are figures
for Connecticut. Ohio and Chicago; The mum
Der Of men voting in Connecticut in 1880 was
about I64 ;e99; Th eo women % yn,nTn be the
3.2i6: in 1875. 1906 In Cuvaroga county
(C!eyelandl. o., in. -1S'5. 1881 Nwomcn, regis
tered, Of whom $40 voted in 1890, 2.I2S reg
istercd and ! 1872 voted ip 1897. 400 registered
and 22S voted: in 1893. 81 registered and
about 90 voted It cost the state. $1,000 TO
register these 80 women. In Chicago. there
for school officers. aud these included trustees
-. H.. L. 1904 nm 4 --a-- 80