Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1913-05-30
TCOVERN RETURNS
SUFFRAGE MEASURE
.yeeNoR WITHHoLDS APPROX.
AL ON BILL FOR EQUAL
RIGHTS TO WOMEN.
IMPOSES HASTE IN MATTER
governor Declares He Can See No
eood Reason for Immediate Resub-
mission of Proposed Amendment
and Asks Delay Until 1916.

md Asks Delay Until 1916.
MADISON, May Ex-Governor MCCOY
.,n today sent to the senate the fol-
nring communication on the bill pro-
,ding for resubmission to voters of
mo state of the question of granting
olsl suffrage to women:
return herewith, without approval,
nil No. 225-S, entitled "An Act to
amend Section IL of the statutes, ex-
ending the right of suffrage to wom-
en-"
At the recent presidential election a
rroDOsal to extend suffrage to women
vas defeated in this state by ma
iority of over $4,000 votes. Imme-
diately to resubmit precisely the same
uestion for determination by the vot-
ers at the approaching state election
cannot be justified.
Article 3, section 1, of the Constitu-
lion of Wisconsin enumerates the
classes of persons entitled to vote and
continues as follows:
Provided that the legislature may
at any time extend by law the right
Of suffrage to persons not herein emu
merated; but no such law shall be in
force until the same shall have been
submitted to a vote of the people at
A general election and approved by a
majority Of all the votes cast at such
election"
The method whereby change in
this part of the constitution may be
secured thus differs from that for
bringing about amendment of any 9TH
er portion of our fundamental law
mainly in requiring favorable legal
action at a single session of the leg
stature, instead of by the concurrence
of two succeeding legislatures in sup
port of joint resolution. But here as
in other cases the popular vote must
be taken at general electi0n-not
necessarily the next succeeding gen.
eral election, but any general election.
In other words, this legislature may
provide by law for the resubmission
Of this question at the November cleo
ton in 1914, 1915 or any later time.
1t seems to me no good reason can
be given for the immediate resubmiS-
sion Of the proposed amendment. Since
the decisive vote of last November the
general situation with respect TO wom-
an suffrage in Wisconsin has not
changed. At least nothing has oc-
cured to justify a belief that if this
issue were Immediately resubmitted
TO the people the majority against it
would not be even larger than before.
The result of the recent election in
Michigan is some indication that this
Would be the case. From the vote
taken here it is evident that our peo-
PIE do not consider the experience Of
The Rocky Mountain states, such as
colorado. Idaho and Wyoming, rele-
want or even enlightenilg. Very re-
Gently however other states cOmpar
able to our own in population, social
conditions, and industrial development,
Such as Kansas, California and Wash
Mgton, have decided to try the ex-
pertinent But their experience is yet
aitogether too brief to afford any in
uicatlon of what we should do. If
lhiS question be again forced upon
the DnOOln nf NsyicaOpps,, f0x. 1nniCi0p
al the election in November, 1914, they
VIII be compelled to act upon it with
10 more information to guide them than
'Ney mad last year If, however, the vote
'e deferred until 1916 or later there
Is chance at least that the experience
u other states similar in many re-
'pects to our own may furnish guild
'nce not available now. 1t would
seem therefore to be the part of wis
ION to wait until we can avail our
.eFes OF the instruction to be derived
rom the trial of woman suffrage in
aese states before we again vote upon
MS question.
but this is not ALL Wisconsin
lands for popular rule We have faith
the Judgment and good sense of
ne average voter. We believe in the
uiuatiye and the referendum. But
the referendum is a good thing,
lahlfestly the results of referendum
o'e should be properly respected.
'uch respect will not be shown if al
loSt as soon as the outcome of last
ear vote upon this subject has been
nnounced exactly the same proposal
c immediately resubmitted without
'hgie new fact or argument to sup
OFT 1t. Such action by the legislature
Sn nave but one tendency-that of
peedily bringing the principle of the
7Ierendum into disrepute.
An additional reason against hasty
cton IN this matter is that an ex-