Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1900-06-08
EQUAL SUFFRAGE.
How it Was AnnulIed in This State by Action Of
the Prohibitionists.

| boW ~ WoS ut ttuS JLdtC ny NtttOU vi
the Prohibitonists.
Miss NJ. Lena Morrow, a Represen.
tative OF the National Woman's Suf-
frage Association, gives the following
very truthful and comprehensive his
tory of the Equal Suffrage cause in
the State (then Territory of Washing
ton:
The women of Washington were en-
franchised by legislative enactment
under Territorial rule on the 23d of
November, 1883. Two subsequent eff.
forts to repeal the Jaw were made be-
fore the admission of the Territory as
a State, but these efforts were prompt
ly checkmated, the first by Congress
and the second through re-enactment
by the Legislature. Meanwhile, the
prohibition movement which had
arisen in the East for time seemed
to attract a good deal of attention
over the Pacific Coast.
| The friends of the movement, think
ing that woman suffrage would surely
bring in prohibition, urged the suf-
frage cause as a means to secure pro-
hibition. Consequently, when the
Territory was about ready for state
hood, the men Of the State, fearing
that the equal suffrage movement was
only tail to the prohibition kite, i'm.
mediately decided that the suffrage
cause must be turned down in Wash
ington. Through some political in
triguing quite equal to that Of the
recent Senatorial muddle in Montana,
woman's vote was refused in a ward
in Spokane on purpose to give her a
chance to bring suit in the Territorial
court. This suit being decided against
her, was carried to the Supreme Court
OF the United States, where it was
purposely held back until the Terri
tory should become a State. When
the State Constitution of Washington
was adopted the clause enfranchising
woman under the Territorial rule WAS
omitted in the State Constitution.
This was done without the approval of
the women OF the State.
Equal suffrage was never repealed
in Washington it was simply killed
by political infamy, of which honor.
able men to-day are ashamed. The
question has been twice submitted to
the people of that State and been vot-
ed down. These results, we believe,
are not due to the fact that the ma
jority of Washington men are opposed
to suffrage, but because the question
has been weighted down with so many
other issues as to kill it before it could
be born. So long as any people advo.
eating q minority movement urge the
adoption of the suffrage cause in order
to strengthen their movement, they
do harm to the suffrage cause. Wo-
mans right to the ballot is based
upon the same grounds as that for
which it is claimed for man, and any
claim that she should have the fran
chise, because she is going to do this
or that with the ballot is illogical and
fundamentally wrong. Equal suffrage
has to do with the organic or the con-
stitutional law of the State, and has
no logical or constitutional relation to
the question Of prohibition.
In the four prohibition States in the
Union, women do not vote; in the
four suffrage States OF Wyoming, Col
orado, Utah and Idaho, prohibition
does not prevail. These facts are
stated simply on the actual merits Of
the case, without any reference to the
merits or dement's of the question Of
prohibition per Sc.
land it may be added that, while
the women of Washington Territory
were voters, law providing for local
option regarding the saloon license,
prevailed, and in every precinct, SO far
as the writer's observation extended
women voted on that measure with
the same calm, deliberate judgment OF
the men, and quite as many voters
favored license among the women as
the men. This fully confined the pre-
diction of suffragists called forth by a
charge that the emotional nature OF
woman would control her judgment
at the polls, based upon the zeal
of the temperance people to enfran'
chise women after it had been deter
mined to make use OF that straw" to
support a waning cause, and which
was afforded additional strength from
the fact that they were class of peo'
Pile who had. up to that time, been un'
compromising opponents of the suf.
frage law under biblical inspiration
1t was in vain that Mrs. Duniway, the
principal advocate of impartial suf
frage warned these zealots against
"the danger of breaking down the
bridge upon which they were passing
safely over to the land of deliverance,'
it fell upon unwilling ears, and the
champions premoni,ion was verified
by an organization of the saloon in
terest to fight the shadow of impend
ing disaster to their business from
fear that it might become reality un
der the confident assumption and Wig
orous efforts OF the ProhibitiOnists
That settled the matter. The Judges
on the supreme bench were fossils anc