Arizona republican., 1904-12-14
A Proper Protest.


 The Republican las received the fol
 lowing letter from Mrs. Belva A. Lock
 wood of Washington:
 "The enclosed protests with reference
 to the admission of Arizona and New
 Mexico as a state have been filed with
 the senate committee on territories.
 ''I have been asked to appear before
 the committee on the protests, but would like to know what the women of
 Arizona have to say about 1t.
 Yours truly.
 "BELVA A. LOCKWOOD"
 The protest to which Mrs. Lockwood refers is signed by nearly a hundred eminent and noble women-the la dies most prominent in the organiza- tin of women's clubs, suffrage associa- tions, charity and fraternal organiza- tions, etc, in the United States. Their protests run to this paragraph in sec ton 21 of the bill now before the sen- ate:
 Fifth. That said state shall never enact any law restricting CT abridging the right of suffrage on account of race color, or previous condition Of servitude, or on account Of any other conditions CT qualifications, save and except oa account of illiteracy, minor ity. sex, conviction of felony, mental condition, or residence; provided, how ever, that any such restrictions shall be made uniform and applicable alike to all citizens"
 The objection of these eminent worn~ en is to the use of the word sex" in the quoted paragraph. They say:
 ''The pioneer women of the west, who have Iabored and suffered by their husbands sides to advance civilization, ought not to be so unjustly classed with felons, lunatics and children. while their own husbands, equals in other respects. are enfranchised. The congress of the United States ought not to set its seal upon the possibility of the perpetual disfranchisement of these women. an unmerited disgrace and punishment. It is true that in many states women have been tacitly ranked with these defective, delin> quent and dependent classes, but never before has the insult been so open and 1iagrant. nor has it been in an act of congress"
 It has been claimed that in the lan- guage quoted congress employed mere Iy the phraseology which had been used in enabling acts for all territories admitted since the civil war, but the l protesting women are correct; at least, l we have been unable to find an en- abling act in which congress even in- classed women with the aliens. lunatics, Indians and insane. In l the act admitting Utah, for instance, this was the language used:
 "Tne constitution shall be republican in form, and make no distinction in | civil or political rights on account of race or color, except as to Indians not taxed, and net to be repugnant to the of the United States and to the principles of the Declaration of Independence"
 Of course. the objections urged are mainly sentimental. Congress simply rays that the proposed state may deny the suffrage to illiterates. minors. women, felons and lunatics; it does not require that they shall be ex- cluded. However. there Is practical reason for opposing the inclusion of the word "sex' in the list of classes which may be denied the right to vote The very fact that congress has de- hberately included women in the pro- scribed class would be urged for all time by the enemies of equal suffrage as a reason why the state should not give the ballet to women.
 If the bill is reported favorably, it is to be hoped that it will be amended as -hese women request. The proposed state of Arizona might give the to women, regardless of the objectionable language in the en- ,bling act. But there is nc reason why congress even by inference should make any suggestions on the question )f equal suffrage. That is a matte. , which the people can determine for themselves. There is no valid argu- { nent against equal suffrage, in the irst place. And in the second place 7 here is no reason why congress should airport to interfere where it really has ( 70 voice. TEe Washington dispatches say that he protest has borne abundant fruit T The senate committee on territories :s f ,eing bcmbarded with letters and tele- 6 rams protesting against the use of the i vord "seX" in the bilI-women by I thousands are vigorously objecting to .. he stigma placed upon them by the . measure as 1t came from the house | Mrs. Lockwood wishes to know a what the women of Ariz- na have to s ay about it." We guess that Senator .eve.i idge and his fellow members of q he committee will be deluged with xpressions from Arizona women By fl o means all the women in this terri e