Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-07-18

a construction at all strict VIII DC
very questionable.
Whether anyone will take the
trouble to contest the eonstitutionality
nf the law is an undecided question.
But if the suffragists want to make
their status beyond dispute, the 1lrst
use of their new votes should De 10
put the constitutional amendment
through the legislature and get II rat
flied by the people.
The Illinois MiSup.
Boston Herald: 1t will be interest
ing to see. how Illinois experiment In
woman suffrage works. Women may
there vote for president, but not for
members of congress or OF the state
LEGISLATURE. They may vote Tor may
ors and other municipal officers, but
not for governors and others on the
state ticket All this is very iopsideo.
illogical and even fantastic.
Perhaps participation in the ballot
will be SO small that these privileges
will gradually suffer atrophy. But II
reaIlyJ exercised and the preside ntial
Lallot would seemingly suffice to en-
list interest, the state is not likely to
continue so one-sided system. IL
cannot remain half suffrage and half
anti-suffrage.
Suffrage Crosses the mississippi
washington Times: What Is once
gained for the cause OF woman sur
frage is never thereafter lost to II.
Give half the population the ballot,
and the chance of taking it away with
the consent of that half is decidedly
unimportant -
What they once gain, therefore, the
women hold. Their latest victory Is
in Illinois, where the legislature mas
passed the law to grant women the
vote on all statutory Offices. That is,
they may vote for all places PROVIDED
for under the laws rather than the
constitution. Illinois cities are organ
lied under charters granted by law;
so the women may vote in municipal
elections, though they may not vote
| for governor. Likewise, the selection
of presidential electors is provided TOT
by law of the state; therefore the
women will have the vote for. presi-
dent.
A Fabian Victory.
| Detroit News: The Illinois women,
in getting the right to vote for presi-
dent and other specific offices through
the act of the legislature, are congrat-
Mating themselves that they do not
have to appeal To $4,000 voters who
uo@not speak English in order to WIN
the. suffrage at the polls. winch Is
one way of extending the ballot. And
our old and trusted scamp, Represen-
tatiye Lee Neil Browne of Lorimer
scandal fame, was the spokesman OF
the ants. Well, well, how the world
moves ...s. ~.
Repeal Improbable.
Cleveland Plain Dealer: The ngnt
for woman's suffrage IN Ohio last year
was fought on constitutional grounds
and the suffragists lost. Illinois be-
comes a semi-suffrage State and the
State constitution has not been touch
ed. That is, in Illinois women De-
come eligible to vote for all statutory
ofices-offices not recognized specl1-
cally by organic law. ~. f
Their victory is important from eV-
cry standpoint The suffragists, in the
face of so much gained, will not re-
pine because they have missed get
ting full and complete rights at the
polls.
Illinois has no referendum law, the
present session OF the Assembly hav-
ing consistently refused to enact one.
The only attack possible against the
suffrage law, therefore, is either IN
the courts or in the legislature itself.
1t is wholly improbable that the act
will be repealed; what some court
may do is, of course, beyond conjec-
ture.