Arizona republican., 1910-12-04


 for by its raw and bleeding freshness and by the advertisement given it by the majority, distinguished the pro- ceedings of the constitutional con- vention yesterday afternoon. It had been previously understood that when the suffrage and elections proposition came up for third reading the educa- tiOnal qualifications would be elimi- mated. IL was not that the majority wanted it eliminated, nor that any one of the forty-two members wanted it eliminated, but they had all come to believe that it would not be d good thing to send to congress and the president.
 The qualification, as it had been passed to third reading, was the same in effect as the Hampton act, which was passed to give the democratic party control of the territory. It re quired that voters should be required to read the constitution of the state in English This qualification ap- peared in section of the proposi- ton. MT. Winsor moved to substitute for it a part of a section negatively describing the qualification of voters. making no mention of any education al qualification, and leaving such uth- CT qualifications as might be needed to the legislature.
 In support of the amendment he said that the striking out of the enu- cational qualification was the cnly safe and proper course t. pursue. The convention had already been informed of the attitude of congress toward it., and he feared that if it were made a part of the constitution it would defeat statehood. Beside, it would alienate the Mexican voters at the election on the ratification of the constitution. Speaking for his own county of Yuma, he believed that if that provision should not be stricken out. the county would cast a major ity against the constitution. Mir WJn- sor added the stock argument against every proposition not favored by a member-it was Legislative"
 MT. Cunniff opposed the negative character of the Winsor amendment and said that if anything should go into the constitution it was a defini- ton of the qualification of voters.
 In the meantime MT. Cobb had of fered an amendment to the Winsor amendment containing the spirit of section 2, but directing the legisla ture to give it force.
 Pooling With Fire.
 Mir Ingraham, Mr. Winsor's col league. declared that unless the edu- cational qualification were eliminated, the solid Mexican vote of Yuma coun- ty would be added to the republican vote against the constitution. And what would be a still greater disaster the democratic ticket in Yuma county would be beaten at the first state election. Said he: Tt is unneces- sary to monkey with this proposition now (with an accent on the word "now'D Why fool with fire?' in quired MT. Ingraham. It was better to fool the president and the MeXi- cans.
 Mir. Cunniff said that there was nothing revolutionary in the section as it then stood. For years many states had required some symptoms of intelligence in voters. Massachu- sets had such a law and so had Maine.
 MT. Curtis described the citizenship of Santa Cruz county. There were many Mexicans there, owners of ranches, and good citizens. who had never learned to speak English, though they were men of intelligence. He would oppose a measure depriving such men of the right to vote, but he would favor such an educational qualification as that of Maine or Massachusetts. exempting from the operation of the law those who were voters at the time of its enactment, or men over a certain age. Mir. Gun niff said that he had an amendment ready to offer, and would accept the suggestion of Mir Curtis.
 Speaking in reply to Mir. Cunniff, MT. Cunningham said that it was not sufficient that other states had such laws. This constitution was being framed for Arizona. where conditions were far different from those of the eastern states. Such a qualification, he said. would be unfair to a large section of voters of this territory.
 Absurd, Thought MT. Webb.
 Mir. Webb rejoined that it would be unfair to the entire territory to per init men to vote who could not read. Ii was the height of absurdity to adopt the principle of the initiative and the referendum. in which intelli- gence on the part of voters IS pre- supposed. and then throw down the bars to the ignorant MT Webb urged the adoption of the Cobb amendment