The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-11-17
EQUAL SUFFRAGE ON WAY
Address Delivered by Chief Justice Walter Clark Before
State Suffrage Convention Held in Charlotte last week

enc county of M~ecklenburg, in the
PROVINCE of North Carolina hat on
the 10Th day of May, 1875, was held
~, first meeting that declared for
American independence I the right
of he people to govern themselves.
n il therefore exceedingly appropriate
that i'm Charlotte in the county IF
M.cklenburg, that the first club was
organized in North Carolina. and the
FIRST State convention is now being
Md. for the enfranchisement of the
dtsfranchised half of our people. IN
Ike the Charlotte convention Of 1875
this is not by any means the begin
ming of the movement on the CONT
reut. Already 10 States and one
Territory had enfranCh i5ed it's
women when on last Tuesday at the
ballot box two other States joined in
the movement so hat now already 13
great States have admitted the self
evident proposition that women are
entitled to equal political and legal
rights with men and that they shall
no longer be taxed on their property
without representation.
Not Easily Won.
- manifestlv just and fair is this,
that ID admits Of astonishment that it
can he denied longer anywhere. 1t
IS true that the suffrage for women is
not easily won. No rights nave ever
been conceded to any portion of the
prople without a contest. The move
ment TO confer suffrage upon men be-
gan here in Charlotte in 1875, but it
was not granted all at once. Not only
did the nobility and the King of Eng
land oppose our right of self govern
meut through seven long years of a
great struggle, but even among our-
selves the classes were opposed to
the grant of the suffrage to the
masses. The convention at Halifax
which formed our State Constitution
granted the right to vote not upon all
men nor for all offices. The voters
were allowed to vote only for mem
bers Of The lower House of the Leg
i%slaturc. For the State Senators nc
man could vote unless he possessed
50 acres Of land. 1t was thought not
safe To permit men without this quail
iication 10 have a voice in their Sc.
lection. This restriction was only re.
moved in 1856 after so years haC
passed and then only after a grear
struggle. Under the North Caroline
constitution of 1875 your Governor
and your State officers and judge.
uor lifel were elected by the Legisla
ture and your county officers by tn
magistrates and the clerks of tn,
courts were appointed for life by tn
judges. 1t was thought unwise am
unsafe to permit the people to hav'
d voice in the choice of these Off
erals. The change as to the GOverno
and some county officials was mad
after 90 years. but the State official
tother than the Governor) and tn
judges were not made elective til
1868, that is to say after 80 year
trial Of government by the people.
u the convention that formed TIL
FEDERAL constitution in 1887 at Phila
delphla the people were given a voic
IN the selection of only one sixth O
the soVernment-that is half of tn
legislative department, the lowe
House of Congress. The Senate wit
It's preponderating power by reas6
ol me confirmation of officials wa
mace elective at second hand by tn
state Legislatures, and this wa
OHdHeed only last year after a laps
= more than a century and a quartz
me executive department, tn
PRESIDENT was made elective, not b
."e people but by electors who wer
De elected. as it was thought, b
,Hf LEGISLATURES, hat is to say at thir
mahu And this State of things e.
lSted practically in all the Stat,
u"Wh 70 the election of Jackson
ima' = Tor 40 years. when II peop
~ q silent but irresistible revolutio
anu without a constitutional amen
mVuV forced the election Ct presidel
LI",' ,~'eetors by themselves at the ba
n, uoA. The selection of the thil
apartment of the government, IL
;LUsts, was made al fourth hand |
pit - Icing made appointive by IL
hnleSilent who was to be elected
cL'u hand and confirmed by a lena
m'Seh az second hand and to seclu,
rn, from any consideration of II
pptu'' VIII they were given tenure f
Ma This still prevails, though
A. 'ueSpread agitation gives signs tn
HI distant date the people w
To- q voice in the selection of judg
ba, Term of years, as has alrea'
~ rP'.'d as to State judges. in nea
nj an The States n as recently ha
~ ~ regard to the election
"'u states Senator's.
Suffrage of Slow Growth.
nave gone over these details
Cd You that even though We adoE
in republican form of governme
all ~ and declared the equality
ht'Il before the l.-- ~. :-l~t