Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-04-22
WOMEN WORRIED
IN WAR ON VETS
Fear Macomb Case Decision by Su.
preme Court May Precede Gen.
cral Blow at Equal Rights.
JOSIE WESTFALL LOSES PLACE
COntended That Pana is Not Dry Ter.
ritory, Because of Majority Vote
Cast by Men.

The direct question whether women
can legally vote in wet and dry cleo
tons in Illinois is on it's way to the
supreme court following the ruling
by the appellate court yesterday in
Springfield that women have this
right.
Because of the decision of the high
court the day before the Macomb case
holding that women cannot vote for
candidates for city judge women suf-
frage leaders were reported yesterday
TO feel some trepidation over the out
come of the local option franchise
right which now goes to the supreme
court
While the issues raised in the Ma
comb case are held by some lawyers
not analogous to the one specific is
sue raised in the ruling yesterday, the
disturbing phase of the situation, &C
cording to some of the women, was the
way the supreme court divided in the
former case.
MacOmb Case Decision.
Josie Westfall was elected city judge
of Macomb over Dean Franklin. A
test case was instituted in the courts,
the Franklin people contending that
Miss Westfall was illegally elected, in
asmuch as women voted for her. The
supreme court Wednesday sustained
this contention, ordering the circuit
court of McDonough county to enter
a decree BUSTING Miss Westfall and
placing Mr.. Franklin on the bench.
The supreme court, in holding that
women cannot vote for city judges, di-
vided, four to three. The justices hold
ing to the majority view were Dun
can Farmer, Cooke and Craig The
dissenting opinion was filed by JUS
tees Cartwright, Carter and Dunno.
If, as some of the lawyers contend,
the issues in the Macombb case are
analogous to the case decided yester-
day by the appellate court, and if the
high court, when it e is the new case,
maintains the same division, then the
right of women to vote in local option
elections would be wiped out
Local Option Case.
The local option issue comes up
from Christian county. Henry Ermo-
yich, who was charged with being
president of lid" club in Pana, was
arrested for selling liquor in anti
saloon territory He was convicted
and fined An appeal was taken the
contention being that Pana was not
| legally anti-saloon territory, since a
majority OF the men voting on the
/ question were for the vets, the wom
en- vote being the determining factor
/ in making the town dry
! The appellate court, while remand
/ ing and reversing the case on the
ground that Ermovich was compelled
/ to testify against himself in violation
/ of the federal constitution. took occa-
| sion to rule on the legality of women
voting in local option elections and
/ held strictly to the letter of the wom-
an suffrage statute of the state, that
women may vote on all referendum
propositions where constitutional Of
| ficers are not involved.
The case now goes direct to the
/ supreme court for the final adjudica-
ton. Some lawyers will contend that
the anti-saloon elections are not
merely referendum elections in the
sense the word is used in the statute,
but involve constitutional questions
going to both the federal and state
constitutions.