Arizona republican., 1912-06-12

 ID ASSEMBLE
Will Inaugurate a Move ment Saturday Night for Submission of an Amend ment to the People at Next Election

Next Saturday night at s o'clock the friends of equal suffrage in Phoe- nix and vicinity, will assemble on the city plaza and hold meeting for the initiation of movement designed to result in the submission to the people at the election next November, of an amendment to the state constitution; providing for equal suffrage. This. if carried out, will be the first example of attempted direct legislation in Arizona, under the initiative" provisions of the state constitution.
 It is explained by those concerned in calling the meeting that it will not be an occasion for a discussion of the merits of equal suffrage On the contrary it is intended only for q getting together of the friends of suffrage, those who already favor it, that their names may be placed on petitions asking for the submission of the question to the people An opportunity will be given all present to sign these petitions but those who do not wish to will not be urged asked to give their reasons for refusal or in any other way embarrassed
 To secure the submission of the question at the next election will require prompt action. At least three thousand signatures to the initiative petitions must be secured in the state, to meet the percentage of the voters required by law. and this must be done by the first of July to enable the filing of the petitions with the -1 rat arNx~ of tot cedng the election After all that has been done. will come the cam paign for the adoption of the amend ment. Just now there is no time for argument or proselyting
 ! It is understood the meeting will l be presided over by Mayor Christy and that there will be an interesting i program of speech making to indicate to those present the action it is de- sired they shall take. Among the | speakers expected will be Senator | WOrsley. Senator Hughes, Senator Davis. Judge J. C. Phillips. Rev. F. i N. Phillips, B. F. Marks, and Mir and Mrs. Eugene Brady O'Nein. i The Indian band will be present and 1 furnish music before the meeting and i between the speeches, and tables will
 be provided for the signing of peti- tions
 It is explained in advance that
 this is not an undertaking Of the
 militant wing of the suffrage party 1 There will be no brick throwing or other efforts al fOrceful persuasion l Most of all it is hoped the friends 1 of the movement will turn out en
 masse, but all others are invited to
 attend, hear what there is to be said
 and unite with the movement or not as their convictions dictate
 This movement is the answer of the suffragists to the rebuke of the demo-
 cratic legislature now in session II will be remembered that bill pro- l viding for the submission of ar amendment to the people was passed by the lower house in the regular ses- l sion, but was killed in the upper house, though it had some supporters l in that body. It is contended that l the lower house consented to its passage only because it was common l knowledge that [ would be killed ir
 the senate, though gentlemen in both houses shook the dome of the capitO
 in suffrage speeches, saying they
 favored it but would not vote for il
 on the ground that if the people
 desired suffrage they would initiate
 movement in it's behalf. The ar
 gument was used to side step what
 was becoming a very delicate politica
 situation in respect of which the law
 makers did not care to place the party
 on record. The answer that the initi- ative was provided as a last resor
 where the legislature refused to give
 the people an opportunity to expres! l themselves did not avail So nov the suffragists are going to express themselves in a non- partisan way but they are not greatly enthuset
 over the future Of leading democrat , who have made this troublesom
 process necessary to secure a hear
 ing