The farmer and mechanic., 1915-03-02
EQUAL SUFFRAGE
Address of Chief Justice Walter Clark Before ba
Equal Suffrage League, February p, 1915.

Dental electors are chosen by States
in wmch women have equal suffra ge |
with the men.
Movement Acquires Speed.
In the last 80 days, the movement |
has acquired accelerated sneed
constitutional amendment to confer
eQual suffrage has passed the New
ork legislature by a unanimous vote
IN Doth houses. One man spoke
against it but there his obstinacy fail
ed and he voted for the measure. The
equal suffrage amendment has nassad
py overwhelming majorities in the
legislatures Of Massa achusetts New
Jersey, West Virginia, Tennessee and
Arkansas. It has passed one house in
pennsylvania, Iowa and Vermont It
mas been reported favorabIy by the
| committees in Texas and Tennessee.
| and is to be submitted as a separate
| proposition in the new constitution
which is to be voted on by the people
| OF Rhode Island. All this has happen
ed IN the last thirty days. North Caro-
ilna is the only legislature this year
that SO far has refused to allow the
people to vote upon the question
Besides the above progress there
are some 20 other States in the Union
III addition to the twelve that have
full suffrage in which the women
have municipal suffrage or vote for
school officers and in local tax assess
mentS.
The movement too is world wide
The women have equal suffrage with
the men in Denmark, Iceland Nor
way, Sweden and Finland in the North
and in the Union of Australia and in
all its states and in New leland. In
addition the women have municipal
suffrage in all the provinces of Cana
da, a country territorially as large as
nd in Ety,ey y1oY n
Scotland, Ireland and Wales. Indeed
in the British Isles the women vote
!, for everything and are eligible for
every office except member of Parlia-
ment, and they are sure to get that
, at the first parliament held after the
upon.
No Mere Fad.
: A movement that is thus world
: wide in its scope and which is moving
5 onward with accelerated speed is nc
mere fad but has it's foundation in
: the justice Of the demand and in the
need for the suffrage based on eCOnO'
2 mic causes and has been proven bene
fetal in the countries and states which
= have adopted it.
Though formerly suffrage was baset
S upon property and other considerations
S the present constitution OF Nortl
4 Carolina recognizes that all adults ma
d tive born or naturaliZed are entitled
2 to it except those who are mental.
o or morally deficien,. Let us exanin
the clause in our Constitution on suf
frage.. 1t admits to the ballot al
e adulls who are native born or natur
: allied except four classes. What ar
: these classes that are disqualified
h They are: L. Idiots and lunatics-be
It cause they are mentally defective.
e COnvictS-b because they are moral de
: fectives. 5. Illiterates-unless thei
S, grandfathers could vote-because as
n class they are deemed mentally incOm
petent, and 4. Women.
e Are the mothers, the wives sister
r and daughters Of the white men Q
Is North Carolina disfranchised becaus
: they are morally defective or becaus
s. they are mentally defective? Unles
,r they are they have as much right
l. vote as the men and are as cOmpeteT
le to exercise the right of suffrage. The
le can not be deemed morally defectiv
" for the records Of our courts, cur jail
IS and state prisons show that there ar
IF some 20 to 80 times as many me
A. tried and convicted Of crime as VIC
l. men.
Of Are they mentally detective? Ths
re is the only remaining ground whic
ne can be urged. Judging by the evasi,
De and often illogical objections urge
rs against woman's suffrage by speaker
b. who bestow exaggerated cOmpllmen
IN while denying the women their right
IN this must be the belief of many I
d. the opponents. But I have nev<
st heard but one man who stated tt
ic objection squarely. I was passiI
re through Caswell county in an autom'
lie bile and stopped at country sto1
[r. one Saturday afternoon. where the
n were several men. some of who
C. knew me, and the suject of equal su
fra ge was mentioned. A rather dill
of pidated specimen Of a man who W;
mt whiting a dry goods box spoke l
or and said: 'Wemmen amt fitten
al vote They amt got no sinse.
tic knows EN-" I told him he was e
in titled to the credit Of having the cou
ly. age OF his convictions. and if his stat
en- ment was correct, the women Oug
CT not to vote. That he was the on
is man had ever heard give a reas'
ID for opposing equal suffrage But tn