Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1910-11-09
WOMEN At
SCHOOL ELECTIONS
Constitutional Convention Ac.
cedes Them Right to Vote
and Hold Office
INTERESTING SESSION HELD
Battle Waged To and Fro For
Several Hours---Meet Again
This Afternoon.

The ladies of Santa Fe who failed
to attend the session of the constitu-
tional convention yesterday afternoon,
missed the most interesting inning of
the great game that is now in pro-
gress. The question of woman's suf-
frage was up, and the friends as well
as the opponents of the proposition
outdid each other in gallantry in
speaking of the charms. the needs
and the wishes of the fair sex.
The New Mexican went to press yes
terday afternoon just as the conven-
tton after a fight on behalf of
woman's suffrage at school district
election led by H. o. Bursum and Solo,
mon Luna, had given the women the
franchise at such elections and it was
thought that the question was settled
for good and in conformance with the
unanimous report of the committee on
Elective Franchise But it was not and
is not even yet.
The word male" was inserted be-
fore the word citizen" in Section 2
providing that every citizen of the
United States and of this state shall
be qualified to hold office.
An amendment was offered by A. A.
Sedillo providing that no elector shall
be required to do militia duty on. cleo
tion day except in time of war or pub
lie danger. The section was uncere-
moniously rejected.
j. l.. Lawson of Otero county offer
ing an amendment to Section q! pro-
ytding that women shall be eligible to
the office of county school superin-
tendent. The amendment was reject
ed but a similar amendment was
adopted later when offered by J. II.
Canning.
:. Charles A. Spiess pointed out that
under Section as reported, the leg
islature is not inhibited from pre-
scribing an educational qualification
for the franchise
George S. Brown moved that the
words ''or color" be stricken out of
Section 6, which prescribed that the
right of franchise should not be
abridged on account of race, color,
etc. The amendment was rejected.
Section as reformed by Charles
A. Spiess was adopted and its inhibi-
tion against a change was also in
cluded in Section l, so as to make it
practically impossible for any future
legislature or constitutional amend
ment to abridge the right of franchise
of any citizen on account of his lam
guage, race or color.
A. B. Fall moved that the commit
tee rise and that the report be made
the special order for Wednesday af-
ternoon The motion was lost SO to
81.
E. A. Miera m we'd to reconsider Sec
tion /. The Mon was adopted He
then moved to strike out the sentence
providing that women shall vote at
school district elections.
E. S. Slower made a plea for wom-
ans suffrage at school elections. C.
M Compton declared that he Is ready
to champion woman's suffrage at all
lSiSSIiOho buI oAo hOL UOllSfO III SIf-
: ing her just a small corner at the
elective franchise table. He predict
/ ed that woman's suffrage would soon
become a reality throughout the
land and then the vote of the mother,
wife and sister would make sacred the
ballot box.
Jose D. Sena was not of that opin-
IL he r,,sI 41T~
) to any one as friend of the ladies',
+ it was as friend of the ladies that he
protested against extending the fran
chise to them. He said that he was
unutterably opposed to woman's suf-
frage and was applauded as he plead
ed with the delegates to think well
before sending their mothers, wives,
and sisters to mingle with the class
of women that would be at the polls
H. M. Dougherty said he in part
agreed and in part disagreed with the
last speaker He is absolutely op-
posed to extending the franchise to
women at all elections but cited the
instance of the election of Judge Ben
Lindsey at Denver to preside over the
juvenile court as proof that on GER
tain subjects, in which women are
especially interested, it is for the pub
lie benefit as well as for the advan-
J tage of the family to have women
vote. Woman's high sphere is in the
family he said and it extends beyond
the door into the school room. He
therefore deemed it desirable to in
vest her with the power to decide as
to who should reign in the school
room and who should have charge of
: the schools. "I do not believe that
the women of New Mexico are clam
: oring for the right of suffrage, but /
do believe they desire to follow their
! children into the school room"
w. e. Lindsey remarked that like
so many other fathers, he did not ev-
: en- know the grade which his children
attended in school, and lamented the
, lack of interest on the part Of men in
: the schools. Women naturally take
9 greater interest in the schools then do
the men and should not only be per
mitted to vote at school elections but
should also hold school Office. His elo-
quent plea was applauded
e. +. Saxon said that every woman