Bisbee daily review., 1910-02-13
HAMPTON SAYS
 VOTERS LAW IS
 BIC SAFEGUARD
Author of Educational Qualifi- cation Measure Points Out Its Origin and Object In a Convincing Way,

PHOENIX, Feb. 12-Asked today regarding recent statements about the
 origin of the educational qualification
 bill passed by the last legislature.
 John R. Hampton father of the meas
 ure and it's earnest advocate during
 the entire session. answered the
 charge that the bill was the result of
 efforts of politicians out of a job.
 Hampton went in.o the history of the
 bill it's merits and what it means to
 Arizona, in the following words:
 T notice the Daily Repubncan of
 this city is making strenuous effort
 to discredlt the educational qualified
 tions bill enacted by the last legisla-
 ure and justly the unprecedented
 action Of congress as proposed in the pending senate bill, nullifying our election laws The Republican says in effect, among other things. that the qualifications bill was dictated to the
 last legislature by a lot or down-and- out politicians. and that 1t was in tended to so frame the bill as to give
 election boards and registering off
 CTS an opportunity to unjustly discrim- mate against voters for partisan pur- poses. In making these assertions.
 the Republican is in error.
 i As you know. I was the author of
 the bill enacted into law by the last Legislature, and so far as I am individ- ally concerned, the idea of putting on our statutes a law similar to that in force in many of the states prescrib- $ ing an educational qualification for n lvoters was original with me. It was u net dictated nor suggested by any eau
 GUS or meeting of politicians and had d been considered long prior to the cleo C tion of 1908, the result of which, ac s. cording to the Republican, was re of sponsible for the enactment of th' Dt law.
 V When l was a member of the legisla H. ture in 1907 discussed with members ly of the house and with at least onC V member of the council the feasibility ss Of putting through a bill that would in eliminate the illiterate vote in oul H. elections. It was decided that such . " bill could probably not be passed al & that time, the legislature being en m grossed with the consideration of the , mine tax bill and other important !, measures already pending, and the 10 idea was abandoned for the time ,, being.
 n "On my return to the legislature in :. 1909 l again took the matter up early !; in the session with members of both = houses. and was assured of the sup ~ port of a majority of the members.
 :, The bill, which is taken from the
 ', constitution of the state or Maine,
 was then introduced and subsequently,
 enacted into law by the vote Of more " than two-thirds of the members of :" both houses No effort was made to ~ deviate from the Maine law in such a iS way as to give either party a partisan advantage, and my hope was that the U law would be fairly and rigidly en- F forced regardless of its effect on par e tisan politics. I attended every meet 'l ing of the democrats of the council tS when this bill was under considera- e. ton, and there was never any sug- to gestion that the bill be so framed or rs amended as to give an opportunity for le unfair discrimination in the enforce le ment of the law. At the first meet is ing that considered the measure it was li- explained that the bill was taken from le the constitution of the state of Maine {; e. that it had stood the test of the courts. to and was evidently well considered O. The members present knowing that at the state of Maine has been one of .v the leaders in modern though, and re le form legislation. decided we could not 1s cd better than follow the trial already ,t blazed for us, and the Maine law was tol adopted without change. modification all or amendment and this fact alone ss should be sufficient to convince any bt fair-minded man that the legislature m was no. inspired by the sinister mo n- tives attributed to it by the repub ;o lican.
 !, T have always thought it detri ,h mental 70 the best interests of thu be people to have a large iIliterate vOt' !, in our elections and have been anx
 ious to see this vote eliminated, re
 gardless of it's effect on partisan poi z, tics or policies. and believe this wa ,a the feeling of the legislature tha enacted this law.
 .t "e also know that large percent .o age of the iiliterate vote of the ter
 ritory is indifferent as 10 parties am ,a policies. and always votes sS the diC al --------------