The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1917-09-18
TINES BUREAU,
AT STATE CAPTTAL.

INDIANAPOLIS, IND, Sept Is
The expected has happened. and the
woman suffrage law has been knocked
out as far as one court can do it Judge
Rockford. of the Marion county super
ior court, declared the law unconstitu-
tion. and it will have the effect OF pre-
venting the women Of indianapolis
from voting at the coming city election,
unless the supreme court reverses his
decision.
Lawyers say that as the matter now
stands no other city in the state Is
bound by the Rockford decision, oe-
cause the Marion county superior court
has no Jurisdiction outside of Marion
county On the other hand some lawyers
insist that all cities in the state will
respect the decision. because they VIII
feel that if one court knocks out the
law others probably would do the same.
The Rockford decision would be
precedent that other lower courts in the
state probably would follow in case
similar suits were brought in their par
ticular counties.
Anyway. the opposition to the law
has scored the first knock-down, and
while no one can even guess with any
degree Of accuracy what q court will
do with any case. there is strong i'm
preston here that the supreme court
will affirm the Rockford decision.
HOPE Tor Early Hearing.
Every possible effort will be made to
get the case to a hearing before the
supreme court at an early date. and it
i the hope to obtain a final decision in
that court by the middle of October.
1t was a somewhat peculiar order
that Judge Rockford entered in the
case. He said in his opinion that there
was a possibility that the supreme
court might reverse his decision, and
that therefore, the women ought not to
be denied the right TO register as voters
in the first and second class cities this
| fall. If they were prohibited from reg
istering and then the supreme court
should happen to reverse the decision
and hold the law valid those women
who had failed to register would be un-
able to vote. The court said this would
4 be unfair to such women.
Therefore. he did not prohibit women
4 from registering They will continue
\ to register, just the same, and take
4 chances on being allowed to vote But
the order prohibits the registration
boards from certifying the registered
names to the city election commission
4 ers. and prohibits the city election com
missioners from preparing ballots for
/ the women or from allowing them to
vote at the elections. This order leaves
| the way open for the women to save
/ their rights, whatever they may be, by
/ registering.
4 Judge Rockford based his decision on
4 the old time worn argument that the
state constitution limits suffrage to
males. and that the legislature has nc
! power to extend the right Of franchise
/, to any class that is4 not specifically
mentioned in the constitution. H
holds that the only way by which the
right Of franchise may be extended te
women is for the people Of the state to
change their constitution so as to per
NIT this to be done.
Outlook Rather Dark.
In this connection it is interesting tc
pecall the fact that only few weeks
ago the supreme court OF Indiana de-
cided that the legislature had no right
to call a constitutional convention. and
that the only way a constitutional con
vention could be called was by the peo.
pie themselves doing ii. Thus 1t will be
seen that the women do not stand 9
very fat chance Of getting to vote ir
| case the supreme court upholds the