The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-01-22
FRON OTHER PENS
SUFFRAGE IN oKLAHoMM

apparently, II Will soon De time to
cut another notch in the stick to rep
resent another state which has adopt
ed woman suffrage. The women of
Oklahoma have now filed with the
secretary of state a petition contain
ing $4,000 names demanding that an
be submitted to the voters of Okla
homa striking the word male from
the statement of the qualifications for
voters. 1t SO happens that such a
referendum is, in Oklahoma, manda-
tory in its effect, SO that if the women,
backed by Senator Owen and the
5000 signatories, can secure at the
next election majority of--the- votes
cast upon the proposition, woman suf-
frage will be a fact in Oklahoma as it
is in four other western states Of SIM
liar social conditions.
1t is not very strange that the wom-
en- are confident of success. It is true
that they were defeated at the time
of the adoption of the state constitu-
ton, but the argument which defeated
them then has much less weight to-
day. At that time the voters were
told that "they'-meaning the powers
at Washington-rega woman suf-
frage as highly irregular form of
franchise, and that it might seriously
jeopardize the newly acquired state
hood. Some years before the Arizona
legislature adopted woman suffrage
only to have it vetoed by the terri
resented the Washington point of
view.-Chfcago Post.
PROBATION AGAINST STRIKES.
Andrew Carnegie evidently had been
looking far ahead when, some years
steel industry to take stock in the con-
Germs by which they were employed.
After the United States Steel corpora
ton was organized this became a fixed
policy of the concern. 1t was some
what disastrous at the beginning, as
workmen invested in the common stock
at about So and soon after that it drop
ped to IL The recuperation was slow,
but the wOrkmen who held on to their
investments have been we'll rewarded
1t is estimated that more than 100000 of
the steel trust employees are now share
holders. Many of these made their pur-
chases when the stock was suffering
from depressed conditions, and they
have since been reaping the benefit of
the advance in price of their holdings
and of the dividends that have been
paid.
The wisdom of the Carnegie plan
from the company's standpoint is now
being demonstrated. The American
Federation of Labor has proclaimed
war against the trust because 1t main
tains the open shop" plan, and an eff
fort is being made to induce the work.
men to strike for the purpose of union
izing the big concern. Thus far the
strike prOpaE 9nda has not met with
much encouraS cement. The 100000 en-
ployes who are shareholders feel that
they are partners in the big enterprise,
and are slow to take any action that
would disturb the company in it's profit
making career.-St. Paul Pioneer Press.
INTELLIGENCE IN JURORS.
Judge Shelton, of the Missouri
bench, does not believe that intelli-
gence ought to be disbarment from
jury service. In murder case re-
Gently tried before him tho states at
torney was severely questioning tales
men about having read newspaper ac-
counts of the crime with the custom
airy purpose of disqualifying them.
The court interrupted to remark:
Whats the difference If they have
all the better jurymen. To say man
ought not to serve because he has
read the newspaper accounts is say
ing, in effect, that a jury of intelli-
gence is objected to. That is not jus
tice; neither is it the law
It is refreshing to have this judicial
opinion on this point. True, the Gus
ers on the jury is falling into disuse,
but 1t is still occasionally heard Of
Judge Shelton has riddled that sur
vival very effectively. The practice
that would prefer men with so little
intelligence or interest in the affairs
of the world as to fail to read the
newspapers to men whose interest
abreast of the times was repugnant
to common sense ard good judgment.
-Pittsburs Dispatch.