The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1917-10-04

left open the question of the constitu-
tionality of the existing referendum
law.
This means the final determination
of whether the suffrage law will be !
submitted to vote of the people Nov !
6 hinges on the outcome of a legal |
contest over the constitutionality of |
the referendum act, which is being !
waged before the supreme court.
The supreme court dismissed one !
suit of the suffragists, in which they !
sought directly to go into the question !
of the validity of the referendum pc
titiOns themselves. Dismissal was on
the ground the court had no jurisdic-
ton, the suit having been appealed
when part of it was still hanging fire
in common pleas court
Suffrage attorneys said it yet would
be possible for them to begin over
again by carrying this case up as
whole from common pleas court, even
should the constitutionality proceed
ings remaining in the supreme court
be settled against them.
In the seccTd supreme court case of
the suffragists, in which they sought
by mandamus to compel the secretary
of state to give them hearing on the
petitions and asked temporary in
junction to prevent him from going
ahead with the election, the court re-
fused the application for injunction.
The court ruled, however, that an
alternative writ might issue. This
legal phraseology is in substance an
order to the secretary of state to give
the suffragists the hearing they seek,
10 show cause why he should not.
II effect it will amount to sum.
mons for the opposing counsel to an
Swer at once the contention that the
law Is unconstitutional.
This decision followed an argument
before the supreme court in which
Miss Florence Allen. Cleveland suf-
frage lawyer, made detailed charges
of fraud against the antis' petitions,
and in which Charles Johnson of the
attorney generals Office denounced
the suffragist suit as no suit at all.
Miss Allen further charged that
there was hindTance to inspection of
the petitions in Cuyahoga.. Auglaize,
Allen and several other counties,
which, she said, Clouds the presump-
tion that the boards of elections per-
formed their duties impartially and
according to law"
y The number of signatures necessary
to submit a law to a referendum vote
is 70,444. The antis' petition original
ly bore $1,000.
Tie Suffragists in separate local
court actions in several counties have
knocked out approximately 1900.
Judge Rathmells ruling holds up the
counting of 1900, which reduces the
signatures for the present to 66,4O0, an
insufficient number.
officers designations Approved.
At the suggestion" of Brig Gen.
W. r. Smith, commanding the 9th di-
vision at Montgomery Ala, r. E..
Senk and G. w. Kahle, first lieuten-
ants in the 112th supply train, Co
lumbus, on Sept 27 sent in their res
ignations. They were approved at di-
vision headquarters and wired to
Washington for the war department S
final approval.
Senk and Khale, according to infor-
nation given out at headquarters,
faced charges of having been absent
without leave and of having broken
camp rules.
Ohio EIks Patriotic.
BErsts of applause were the response
of Ohio Elks at night as patriotism and
steadfast loyalty to the United States
we're urged by Senators John Sharp
Williams of Mississippi and Warren G.
Harding of Ohio at a patriotic demon
stration which concluded the annual
reunion of the Elks State association
The outstanding event of the days
session of the reunion prior to the
nights demonstration was the election
of officers.
More Men at Camp Sherman.
The civilian soldier population oil
Camp Sherman at Chillicothe was
swelled to more than 5000 with the
arrival of $500 selectiVe draft men
from Ohio cities and counties.
The outstanding feature from the
army standpoint is the high class oi
men comprising the quotas that ar
rived. Army officers are elated oveI
them.
The surprise was sincere, especially
because some Of the officers were in
cliEed to believe that those sent as the
in hn nj Snnf
had been picked, so well did they show
up, not only when they were detrained
but during the 10 days they have beer
doing military work.
Will Learn Bomb Throwing.
Ohio drafted men at Camp Chilli
cothe will start learning the art Ol
throwing bombs within . few days
from Capt. James Bliss, who has just
arrived from Fort Sill, Okla, undel
assignment as bomb instructor Of the
331st regiment. Capt. Bliss trained
under French and British army off
GERS, who learned the game on Euro
pean battle fields, and Ohio drafted
men ar anxious to learn.
The army Y. M. C. A. force has beer
augmented by the addition of Hugh
Welsh, who holds the hurdles record
at Syracuse university.
Make Ohioans Good Marksnen.
Unlimited instructions on the targe
range and the making of the Ohio sol
diers into marksmen. equal to Gen
Jackson's squirrel hunters" is thu
plan of the 37th division officers a
Montgomery. The work will be don'
by experts under the guidance of Maj