Weekly journal-miner. [volume] (Prescott, Ariz.) 1908-1929, 1913-07-02
THE SUFFRAGE
VICTORY IN ILLINOIS.

Without throwing a. brickbat, the
women suffragists of Illinois have
done much more than the militant
suffragists of England. A still hunt
is sometimes better, in politics, than
hunting with a brass band And
though the suffrage bill which pass
ed the Illinois Houst lately
was introduced early in the session,
and its progress on the calendar
has been reported from time to time,
+ it has drawn but a small part of
public attention away from the al
| ways occurring and always inef-
fectual effoxs to submit constitu-
tionai amendments. Had the friends
of woman suffrage in Illinois ap-
peared before the House proposing
a constitutional amendment as 4
means OF reaching their end, their
measure would have gone down into
that vortex which has swallowed
so many others of equal or greater
merit Appearing only as advocates
of a statutory act, they were also
fortunate, we think, in that post
ponement of final action on the bill
which brought it up after the defeat
OF so many other measures demanded
/ by reformeps that a tendency to
yield something to mere clamor'
must have helped them somewhat.
At any rate, we frankly admit oar
great surprise at their success.
1t was great victory they won in
the House. The passage of their
bill in the Senate did not cause
so much surprise. The Illinois Sen
ate has, for a number OF years,
contrary to the rule of most States,
been more representative body than
the Illinois House long has been
or can ever be again under the
minority system of representation.
Under the laws terms, women will
be qualified to vote on the presi-
dency OF the United States. They
will have vote for members of the
Board of Equalization, who, in IL
linois. are elected by congressional
districts. and whom Gov. Dunno
has been vainly trying to abolish
before the ladies can get a chance
at them. They may also vote for
clerks of appellate courts, county
collectors and surveyors. members
of assessing and reviewing boards,
sanitary district trustees, and all
city, village and town offices, except
police magistrates In addition they
can vote upon all propositions sub
mitted to the people, for a majority
of township offices, and on any thing
and everything in fact not inhabited
by the constitution of the State.
The constitutional limitations will
cut them out of participation in the
election of governor, lieutenant gov
ernor, secretary of State, treasurer,
attorney general, auditor and super
intendent OF public instruction. All
of these are such big game that
the ladies, having once struck their
trail, can be relied upon to at once
begin agitation for submission of an
to the constitution of
Illinois as means of removing their
remaining disabilities There IS
where they must show their mettle.
Battalions of strong men have gone
down in series OF such attempts. |
Illinois women have been authorised |
by statute to vote for the President |
of the United States, but when |
they aim to change the Illinois con-
stitution to get Ito vote for auditor, !
they will have the political battle of |
their likes. All we can do is con- /
graduate them upon this victory |
without making prediction as to the |
result of the next move. They have
won great victory not only for
themselves, but for their cause
everywhere, which will acquire a
new impetus from what has been
done at Springfield. '1s
RSTEEMEn JAnVlF