Arizona republican., 1910-11-24
Right in Principle, But Wrong ir
 Detail

The educational qualification toI Voters in the proposed state of Ari- 1oDa. as adopted by the convention on Tuesday, is thus stated:
 Every male person of the age of twenty-one years or over. posse essing the following qualifications, shall be entitled to vote at all general elections and for all officers that are now or hereafter may be elective by the people and upon all questions which may be submitted 10 the vote of the people: First-he must be a citizen of the United States. SecOnd-he shall have resided in this state at least one year immediately preceding the election at which he offers to vote, and in the town, county. or precinct such time as may be prescribed by law. Third-he shall be able to read the constitution of this state in English. and write his name Provided. that the provisions of this section shall not apply to any person prevented by physical disabil- ity from complying with this requisi- tion No person under guardianship, or non compos mentis, or insane, shall be qualified to vote at any election. nor shall any person convicted of treason or felony be qualified to vote al any election unless restored to civil rights.
 The educational restriction here pro- vided is open to one of the objections that have been made with force to the Hampton law, now on our statute books-it makes no exception in favol of elderly citizens. Should the con- vention see fit to meet this objection, there would be no serious opposition to the educational qualification" we are convinced, from any considerable number of Americans in the territory.
 There are two reasons why eXcep- ton should he made in favor of cer- tain citizens on account of age: There are elderly men, good citizens, who have lived in Arizona most of theiI lives. but had no opportunity during their school years to acquire an education in English Such education as they have is in Spanish. Second, some of these men are entitled to all the rights of citizenship by virtue of the treaty of Guadaloupe Hidalgo, and congress is not likely to approve a constitution which undertakes to vio- late solemn treaty of the federal government.
 Adequate provision being made O protect these older citizens in theil rights. we do not believe congress would disapprove a constitution mere Iy because of a provision for an edu- cational qualification for voters. Prcsi- dent Taft has expressed himself more than once in favor of raising the standard of citizenship. and, indeed, it is a proposition upon which nearly all good citizens are agreed.
 The Hampton law. of course. is open to other objections. It sets forth in detail the method whereby election boards are to ascertain whether citi- Zen of questioned qualification is able to meet the educational requirement., and this method opens wide door to fraud-a partisan board could decide in favor of ilIiterate voters of it's owr party and exclude all objectionable voters of the other parties. even men of excellent education.
 And congress has not disapproved even the Hampton law, except by m- ference. Having fuh power to abrs- gate any territorial statute, congress contented itself. in the matter of the Hampton law, with merely suspending it's operations during the statehood elections. After the statehood cleo tions are over, the Hampton law will again be in force and effect, unless changed by a constitutional provision or is amended or repealed by the leg islature.
 We have sufficient confidence in the fairness of the people of Arizona to expect that they will in due time insist upon such an amendment of the Hampton law as to make it apply automatically and equally to men of all political faiths.
 We have to repeat. however. that the proposed constitutional provision which we have quoted ought to be so changed as to make an exception in favor of the older citizens of the ter ritory. both as a matter of justice and as matter of expedency
 The state of Maine, in providing for an educational qualification for voters. made an exception in favor of its older citizens-we believe the age fixed was sixty-because there were in the state numerous French Cana dians who had had no opportunity to acquire an education in English. just