Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-05-28

of the suffrage lobby. passed an act
which attempts arbitrarily and with
out a vote on the question to extend to
the women of this state the right and
duty of voting hereafter for certain
specified offices. namely, township
clerks. assessors, treasurers. consta-
bles inc overseers of highways, with
also for presidential electors, county
surveyors and officers of cities and
villages, except police magistrates,
city justices of the peace, and to vote
upon all questions or propositions
submitted to the electors Of such mu-
inequalities.
The Referendum ia Available.
The referendum provision Of our
state constitution gives the right by
petition to compel the submission of
this act\ to the voters of the state for
this purpose have been prepared and
will be circulated and filed.
Our Request to- Refer and Defeat the
Act.
The North Dakota Association OPP
posed to Woman Suffrage in the In
terest of sound government and of the
womanhood Of our state ask you to
sign the referendum petitions and vote
against this statute.
1t Violates the Constitutional Pro-
vision Which Requires a Vote.
fance Of the plain provision Of our
state constitution which forbids the
extension or restriction of suffrage ex-
cept by popular vote.
Section l21 places the right and
duty of voting upon males Of The
! qualifications therein specified.
Section 1913 gives to women the
right to vote for all school officers ard
questions and to hold school offices.
Section 1872 reads AZ follows:
"SectiOn 122-The legislative as-
sembly shall he empowered to
make further extensions Of suf-
fragc hereafter at it's discretion to
all citizens Of mature g and
sound mind not convicted of
crime without regard to sex, but
no law extending or restricting
the right of suffrage shall be in
force until adopted by n majority
of the electors of the state voting
at q general election"
Notwithstanding the plain Ian
guage of the constitution just quoted.
a few suffragists induced the legisla-
ture to pass this act to take effect on
July 1, next. and without a vote of the
people. The reason. without doubt
for d~isregarding the constitution, lies
statute passed which was properly
drawn and provided for submission tc
the voters. 1t was submitted in 1919
and was voted down. They now wan'
a law without submitting it to the vot'
ers, and the legislature gave it tc
them.
1t Oyerrides the 1914 Decision of thu
Men Voters OF the State.
tive body composed Of $50 men. I,
1914, 89,419 men voted on the ques
ton and decided against it by a ma
jority Of 9,401. Thirty-lve of ur 81
counties gave majorities against it
The first congressional district CAV
4,002 majority against 1t. The secon,
congressional district 5000 majorit,
against it. and the third gave 387
opinion, and there is no ground 70
claiming that there has been a chang
of opinion.
1t Dasregards the Wishes Of the Won
en- of the State.
The overwhelming majority Of tn
women Of state do not wish to b
forced into political life. They hav
repeatedly demonstrated this. The
are more interested IL school quee
tons; upon which they have had tn
right to vote for twenty-five year,
Dakota and other states general
speaking not o than two per Ger
OF the women have awaited themselve
OF the educational franchise. Eve
at our 1914 general election when tn
woman suffrage amendment was be
Ing voted upon and there were activ
contests on educational offices, yer
<a- -~-o@>a .~&@a rA- AyI--s--.-1
cial figures will illustrate: In Cas-
county 4.70S men voted and only 19
women. In Grand Forks county 3
\ 895 men and only 29O /
stutsman county BATS men and onl
So women. In Ramsey county 2,06
men and only ~ women. In Trai
county 1,723 mon and only A womel
At h 1915 general election in Farg
2.840 men voted and only 119 won
en-.
Within the last six months an act,
al poll Of women was made in the CT
les Of Cleveland, Columbus, Cincir
matt, Circlevil1e, Chillicothe, Dayto
and Lancaster. Ohio. The canva!
showed 101,905 against suffrage, an
only 7,108 for it.
This Act Represents q Minority (
Men M a Small Minority Of Wome,
In all free, self-governing and den
ocratic countries decisions are MAJ
by majorities. It is the primary rigl
Of majorities to decide. It is the risl
Of the minority to agita,
and endeavor to develop i
self n a majority, but ur
= til it has done so its duty is to sui
NIT to the majority decision. TT
sunrage question should be settled l
this method. A majority of the ma
electors should be required. And
the men are not competent to decit
a question concerning our sex (and
Is our SCI as q whole which Ia col
cerned), in the interests of fairne
and justice it would seem that Il
women themselves should first decit
IN q proper way, by q majority vo
whether they are DESTROYS of takir
up general political burdens whie
have heretofore been borne BY II
mon. It is undemocratic and unfa
to force upon the majority of wome
these public duties, for they can n
abdtcate their primary duties to the
families and homes for the polite
arena.
I'VE. therefore, ask you rs a ma
ter Of right and justice to the woma1
hood OF Out state, to refer this act
the people and to defeat it at IL
election. Respectfully,
worth Dakota Association Oppose
To Woman Suffrage.
BONES DISCOVERED