Iditarod pioneer., 1914-10-31
EQUAL SUFFR, R,AGE; ACT
 SAID TO BE;; INVALID

The First Alaska territorial legislature which convened in Juneau in the spring of 1913, has had many harsh things said about it, and its individual members have been roasted" to crisp brown, many oi them escaping with only the shred5 of reputation left The legislation enacted at that session has been picked to pieces and ruthlessly invaIidatcd by the courts, and much of that which has not had to stand the test of judicial decision is declared to be worthless Judged by practical results
 it is declared by men whose judgment Is worth considering on such subjects, there probably has seldom been a legislative body whose acts have been so futile as that of the First Alaska legislature.
 But all the harsh things said of this body of men will seem like parIor chatf com pared to what is ill s,Ore for them should the statement made by a prominent legal light to Pioneer mau prove to be justified.
 The statement is nothing more nor less than that the woman suffrage law, which was the first enactment of the legislative body. is entirely worthless and invalid so far as concerns the right of women to vote for members of the territorial legislature and delegate to congress IS concerned. It Is not contended that the franchise was not attempted to be conferred upon women, or that they can or will be prevented from voting; but it IS claimed that the law IS SO framed that should legislation enacted by q legislature elected in part by the votes of women ever be contested in the courts ou this ground, it might result in the in validating of such legislation.
 Npntirr Dt tho rraDiIru under ~1r- .hority of which the Alaska legislature was created. outlining the method of choosing member, of the legislature, provides in par, as follows: That the qualifications of electors shall be the same as those prescribed in the act of congress en- titled An act providing for the election of delegate to the house of representatives iron, the Territory of Alaska. '
 The act referred to in the above quoted section specifically designates among the qualifications of voters that they shall be ! "naia" persons.
 The equal suffrage enactment merely con far~pd the ri ght to vote uTon women and contained no clause to the effect that "al laws and parts of laws n conflict herewith are hereby repeaIed.' Consequently the con -rassionI 4c, prescribing the qualifications of voters t the law of Alaska At least this is the contention mace.
 The woman suffrage law was the first enactment of the First Alaska legislature, and is passage was heralded to the world as an act ot gallantry on the part of the trough Alaska miner who conferred this yaiued rrerogative upon women without so much as being asked to do SC. And suffragettes and suffragists the world ove: held the Alaskans up to the gaze of the world as a fine body of men whose action could well be emuIated by the lords of ere ation in other territories, states and na- tens. Should it develop that the much heraIded Alaska equal suffrage law is but 'Dead sea fruit offered to the ladies. then the lot of Alaskas first legislators will be indeed hard, and we may expect to hear that others of them have sought new loca- tiOnS