The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-10-24
WoMAN's SUFFRAGE.

4AhSIS SeeiHS 10 De considerable con
fusion in the public mind regardins
the method of securing the right OF
suffrage for the women of North Da.
keta.
constitutional amendment is re.
quired-as is popularity supposed.
Woman's suffrage can be establish
ed by an act of the legislature-and BY
afterwards submitting it to the votes
" the people for endorsement.
cit is the only instance in which the
constitution of the state provides for a
referendum.
ga number OF editors-and the lead
ing advocates of the woman suffrage
movement as well-appear to be under
the impression that the constitution
must be amended. The Grand Forks
Herald recently had the following mis-
leading article:
woman suffrage will come up be-
lore the North Dakota legislature al
It's session this winter. and the Votes
FOR Women league of North Dakota. of
which Mrs. Alice Nelson Page OF
Grand Forks, Is corresponding secre-
We" +-0hO q uCICAi lllIlGu DlU IOI
support. In fact the women have AL
ready placed their campaign for the
measure under way, Mrs. Page having
submitted to the prospective members
or the assembly a letter in which she
sets forth the aims of the league. and
asking for their views of the question.
Mrs. Page has received a number of
replies already from the candidates,
and she Is very well pleased with the
~DTOEDGCIS nT GIpOnGE SIn Ga,vn Al.
Dill a received even more favorable
consideration at their hands than it
did before the legislature two years
ago, when it was defeated by a very
narrow margin. With an effective
statewide organization working in be-
half of the bill, Mrs. Page is confident
that the measure will be successful
naLore the assembly this winter. She
points out that there has been a great
deal of favorable agitation since the
1911 assembly, and that the people of
this state seem. as a whole, more
favorably inclined toward the princi-
pie. Under the North Dakota method
or amending the constitution, it will be
necessary to have the suffrage meas
urs, passed at two sessions of the leg
islature, after which time it is referred
70 the people at the general election.
The earliest possible time that this
election could be held would be the
election in the fail of 1915, az the two
intervening legislative assemblies are
in 1913 n 1915. The North Dakota
Votes for Women league was organiz-
ed last summer, and it's growth since
that time has been satisfactory to the
oficers.
The foregoing is a mistake. The
women can be granted the right to
vote by the fall of 1914 and need not
wait until 1915. The coming session
Of the legislature can enact the meas
ure-and II the voters endorse the
proposition at the next general election
that's all there Is to the plan.
At the time of the constitutional
convention Hon. H. F. Miller of Far
60, who was a member, was an ardent
advocate of woman suffrage. He
wanted 1t written into the constitution
of the state, but he was in the minor
ity. When he finally became convinced
that the cause couldn't winnie was
successful IN securing the insertion of
q section in the constitution-which
privides a way in which the women
can really secure the right to vote.
Under the head of Elective Franchise
and in Sec. 122 Of the state constitu-
ton will be found the following para
graph;
The legislative assembly shall be
empowered to make further exten-
sien Of suffrage hereafter, at it's
discretion, to all citizens Of mature
age and sound mind, not convicted
Of crime, without regard to sex;
but 10 Law extending or restrict
ing the right of suffrage shall be
in force until after adopted by a
majority Of the electors of the
state voting at a general election.
That's all there Is to ii. If the la
dies can secure the election of mem
hers of the legislature favorable to
the woman suffrage plan, they can
have the proposition voted on two
years hence.
There r many men who would
prefer that the women vote on the
proposition themselves-and if it is
then shown those wanting suffrage are
in a naajority-it would be an easy
matter TO secure it's endorsement.
Such a plan would require a special
eleetion-unIess some less cumbersome
method could be devised.
The Forum has always believed that
il the women wanted the right Of suf-
frage they should have 1t. There is
no man such an idiot that he doesn't
believe his mother. his wife, his sister
are az much entitled to vote as he. 1t
would be In insult to the entire sex
to intimate that an intelligent, refined,
prcpsrty-owning woman OF North
Daigota should be denied the right to
vcte-whsn d rcwdy, drunken negro
or white tough, who has lived in the
state the requisite time. can exercise
q franchise.