New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-28
RECORD OF CONGRESS
ON VOTES FOR WOMEN
+ las Been Consistently Opposed to Suffrage
Legislation-The Situation in England.
Progressive Silence on Womens Fight.
By Ida Hustled Harper.

Al the time of the national conventions
the delegates from Hawaii brought with
them n petition for woman suffrage IN
that territory and now the dispatches say
that It's Republican convention mas put
into the platform a demand on Congress
IN amend the organic law under when
the territory was formed so as TO give
suffrage to women.
IL could not appeal TO a more hostile
tribunal The whole record of the United
States Congress has been one OF deter
mined opposition to the REIMBURSEMENT
Of women, and there is no blacker page
on that record than the one relating 10
Hawaii. Congress makes what is known
as the organic law under which all terri
tories are organized and provides for the
election OF their first Legislature, which
thereafter controls their. local govern
mcut. This organic act for every one
which ever had been formed stated ex-
pliCitly that at all elections subsequent TO
this first one all persons should be al
lowed 10 vote upon whom the territorial
Legislature might confer the elective
franchise. IL goes without saying that
I'm the election which Congress controlled
only male, citizens were allowed to vote,
but under the authority conferred upon
them the territorial legislatures OF Wy
oming, Utah and Washington gave 10
women exactly the same franchise right
possessed by men and they exercised 1t
quite as generally as men.
When Wyoming made her constitution
for statehood, after women had been vci-
ing twenty-one years. full suffrage for
them was included; but when IL came be-
fore the House OF Representatives at
Washington the members of that body
fought for two DAYS 10 force out the pro-
vision for woman suffrage. The delegate
from Wyoming telegraphed to It's Legis-
lature. which was in session, that Ii
looked as If this would have 10 be given
up, and the answer was telegraphed back.
1--WE will remain out Of the Union hun
dred years rather than come IN without
woman suffrage" The House was finally
compelled to accept the constitution with
the obnoxious clause. but this was done
by a majority Of only twelve.
After women had been voting In Utah
seventeen years, Congress in 1887, by the
Edmunds-Tucker act. dsfranchised all OF
them, Gentle as well as Mormon. 10 put
stop TO polygamy. Men were vastly In
the majority in the territory, but all were
left in full possession Of the ballot. In
Guiding the officials Of the Church which
sanctioned plural marriages. When the
convention, composed OF both Gentle and
Mormon men. met 10 make a statehood
constitution, full suffrage for women was
included with but little opposition, and II
was adopted. men only voting By 2S,6ls
ayes to 2,6S1 noes.
After the women in Washington had
been voting three and a half years. often
in larger proportion than the men. they
were arbitrarily disfranchised in 1883 by
decision OF two out OF three OF the ter
ritoriel Supreme Court, on the ground
that a territorial legislature had no right
to enfranchise women! The United States
Congress acquiesced IN this decision. al
though the territorial legislatures OF
Wyoming and Utah had done this with
out question. The women were thus UNI
constitutionally deprived OF any part OF
the statehood convention Of the following
year, and were kept IN a DISTINGUISHED