The Oskaloosa herald., 1914-06-18
BALLOT ACT FOR
WOMEN IS VALID
Suffrage Law Sustained by ILL.,
nois Supreme Court.
WINS BY ONLY ONE VOTE
Three Of Seven Judges Dissent as to
Laws constltutIonaIIty--Saloons
Are HIt by Highest tribunals
Decision.

tional in it's entirety. The state su-
preme court, by vote of to 3, hand
! ed down the decision.
Justice Frank X. D,nn Of Charles
ton wrote the majority opinion, in
which he was Joined by Justice James
H. Cartwright of Oregon, Justice Or
rim N. Carter of Chicago and Justice
Alonzo X. Vickers of East St Louis.
All are Republicans.
Three separate dissenting opinions
| we're filed by Justice George A. Cooke
of Aledo, Justice Charles c. Craig of
Galesburg and Justice William Nj.
Farmer Of Vandalia. All are Demo.
| Gratis.
The justices who dissented contend
that the granting of women the right
| TO vote is In violation of the state con
stitution.
The majority opinion, which be-
comes the decree of the court, holds
the Illinois legislature did not go be
yond its constitutional powers in grant
ing the right to women to vote for all
statutory officers, which includes pres
idential electors, as set out in the 1913
act, and that the act in all OF its de.
| tails is good"
What the Decision Means.
The supreme court decision means
| In short:
That Illinois women have the un-
questioned right to vote for presi'
Dental electors and for all statutory
officers, as specifically provided in the
1913 act.
That they have the undisputed right
to vote at all local option elections
and upon all public policy questions
which are not constitutional questions.
That the election officials In Chi
cago were within their powers in des-
| ignating women judges and clerks of
| election
| That women are now full fledged
members of political parties and as
such entitled to vote for committee
men and to serve as such.
That the election officials in Chicago
must proceed to redistrict the voting
precincts to care for the 100000 WON.
en- voters who have been added TO the
list of qualified voters.
That women have the right to be
candidates for those Offices for which
they have the right to vote under the
! 1913 act.
BY the terms Of the decision, on the
basis as indicated, the entire act Is
held constitutional. including the right
| to vote at local option elections and on
all little ballot" questions which are
not specifically forbidden by the con-
stitution.
| Right to Vote on Local Option.
The majority decision holds that
women have the right to vote on local
option questions, inasmuCh as such
questions are not mentioned In the
constitution. In other words, the court
holds that on all questions and Offices
! provided for by the legislature that
the legislature has the power and Al.
thority to say who shall vote upon
such questions.
The courts decision came in the
Scown case. This suit, fled in the su,
NbuA' III N'AiSnSO w " 'h''oLl
Scown, as a taxpayer. demanded that
the election commissioners of that city
be forbidden to incur expense in pro,
viding facilities for women voting at
the February primaries in 1914, on the
ground that the woman suffrage act
passed by the last legislature was un
constitutional and void.
Suffrage Wins at Women's Meet.
Chicago, June 15.-Amid tremendous
rounds of applause and the singing OF
Illinois" and other patriotic songs
womans suffrage was nearly unani
mously Endorsed by the twelfth bien
NAL convention of the General Fedora
ton of Women's clubs meeting in the
Auditorium theater. When the result
OF the vote was announced by Presi
dent Pennybacker the entire assem-
blage arose and gave great shout oil
joy; handkerchiefs were waved and
the delegates spontaneously burst
forth singing GLORY, Glory Hallelu
jah."