The Washington herald., 1913-02-17
A QUESTION OF
QUALIFICATIONS
Upon Constitutional Meaning
Of Word Will Depend Fate
of Woman Suffrage Bill.
COMMITTEE IS PONDERING
Trying to Decide Whether Constitution
Permits Women to Vote for
Members Of House.
What is a qualification

What is a qualification
He who answers that question satiSfaC-
torily can come pretty close to knowing
neither the French bill. granting women
the right to register and vote I'm all
States Of the Union at all elections for
members Of enc House of Representa-
tives. ever will reach the floor of the
House at the next session.
II "A qualification is a condition or a
state Of being. the French bill will re-
main in committee despite the protests
CG eloquent suffraGists who have ap-
psared before the committee in its ad-
vocacy.
If a qualification is something that may
ne acY hired, such as citizenship. educa-
tiCn, or property. then the members OF
tho House probably will have an oppor-
tunity-nay. it will be forced upon them
at the next regular session. to inform
their constituents through their votes
whether they favor the granting of the
ballot to the women of this country.
a special subcommittee Of the House
Committee on the Election of the Presi-
dent, Vice President, and Representa-
tives in Congress. has been appointed to
settle this moot question. What is a
Gualificai iion?' For upon that, in the
opinion of the committee, depends the
cCnstitutionaIity OF the French bill.
Article l, section . of the Constitution.
says. ''and the electors in each State
shall have the qualifications requisite for
electors OF the most numerous branch of
the state Legislature" rs SEX a quail
fication or can it he construed as a dis
qualification" Or is sex merely an in
Cidental state of being not contemplated
in the Constitution of the United States
On these two questions the pros and
antis have debated long and h.atedly for
tre edifcation of the committee and
finally Chairman Rucker. of Missouri.
appointed Representatives Richmond u.
Hobson. of SAla bama; Charles NJ. Sted-
man. of North Carolina. Democrats. and
stephen G Porter. of Pennsylvania. Pro-
&: essiVe Republican, a subcommittee 10
settle this question in which is bound
up the old bugbear of States rights.
Both Porter and Hobson are out and
out prosuffraEr members. Col. Sted
man is more or less of an unknown
quantity as regards suffrage.
Attackin the cOnstitutionality of the
French bill. anti-suffragists declare that
the provision of the Constitution is a
plain delegation TO the States of the
power to hX the qualifications of voters
for national officers The enactment Of
tho French bill. they say, would he an
il frinEement upon this Constitutional
rreroGative Of the States.
The suffraGists. however. come back
SlTOhsiN Will lIt lndl Inc
word '-qualifiCation" does not apply to
sen AS sen is something which cannot
nc acquired. while the meaning OF the
word contemplates conditions which can
h' acquired by any normal person. The
Constitution, therefore. they say. did not
contemplate the delegation to the States
II discrimination against citizens purely
b' cause of sex.
The French bill provides. that women
who are citizens Of the United States
and possess such qualification Of age
residence. property, or education as may
he required of men to make them legal
voters in the several States. shall be
eligible to register and vote in all States
of the Union for memebers of the House
Of representatives"
The attitude of the subcommittee is
that if there is reasonable doubt as
10 the proper Interpretation OF the word,
the bill should be reported out. passed
If possible and then on test case sent
up to the United States Supreme Court
Tor Interpretation. From present appear
anccs. the subcommittee will SO recon-
mend to the full committee. and the
chances are that the bill will be reported
out-when the members decide What is
Il qualification?"