Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1910-11-12
PHOENIX, ARIZONA, NOV. IL. 1910.
The Educational Qualification.

One of our readers who has noted
with amusement that democrats in
their political policies are given to
pursuing fads with great enthusiasm
temporarily and then dropping them
for new ''ismc" of like temporary
popularity, has asked us to explain
why it is that nothing has been heard
in the constitutional convention con-
corning restriction of the franchise
especially nothing relating to an
educational qualification" for voters.
We cannot answer the inquiry. No
body can sound the depths and shall
lows of a democratic convention and
tell why they do this and don't do
that, nor can democrats themselves
prognosticate the eccentric evolutions
of their representatives. King Solo
mon, we believe 1t was, who declared
that three things were beyond human
prediction: the way of a man with a
maid, the flight of an eagle in the
air, and the course of a serpent on
a rock He might have added that
neither can anybody foretell what a
bunch of democratic politicians will
do.
1t was natural to expect, of course,
that one of the weighty matters to
be handled in the constitutional con-
vention would be a limitation of the
franchise in Arizona to citizens able
to read and write, for in the legisla
ture of last year this was the upper
most fad in the minds of the demo-
cratic brethren. One might have
thought, from hearing them talk about
it then, that next to the salvation of
ones immortal soul, the most import
ant thing in this life was to limit
the franchise so as to exclude Next
cans from the polls-unless the said
Mexicans should indicate an intention
to vote the democratic ticket. Since
then new fads have been taken up, to
be sure, but our correspondent is JUS
tifiably curious to know why this sud-
en- cessation of democratic interest in
the subject is so apparent
1t is not alone in the matter Of the |
educational qualification that the DEM
ocrats have shown themselves incon- |
sistent and notionate. In their last
presidential campaign the state and |
national guaranty of bank deposits |
was the paramount ISSUE" according |
to Mr. Bryan, and the democrats of
Arizona agreed with him, but who /
now hears any suggestion of a bank
guaranty provision in our constitu
ton?
Our correspondent of course knows
that the educational qualification"
law enacted by the last legislature
has not been repealed. but remains in
full force and effect for the elections
that will follow these statehood cleo
tons. The law was not disapproved
or otherwise repealed by congress,
but merely suspended as to the state
hood elections.
But this is no reason why the sacred
doctrine of last year should not be
imbedded in the constitution.
AS a matter of fact, the constitu-
tional convention. would commend it
self to the people in at least one
respect if it would provide in the pro-
posed constitution for a fair exclus-
ion of illiterate citizens from the priv.
iieges of the franchise. There is no
difference of opinion between republi-
cans and democrats generally as to barr
ing the younger illiterates from the polls
practically everybody is in favor of it,
Republicans object to the existing
statute because it is manifestly I'M
fair and partisan in spirit and in
tended to operate to the advantage ,
of the democratic party exclusively. /;