The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1918-06-20


Is open and II is written over and over
In the congressional record and in my
letters, that / have given up what
have previously announced as my con-
viction concerning a most material
matter simply to protect my political
interests at home. This is too much to
give for mere political expediency. If
II hurts my party and my party Is I'M
able to carry the load that can be very
easily arranged. ! do not want to
stand In the way of party success and
shall not If it seems that l am doing
so. There are some things which to
my mind transcend party.
Another thing. l think the good
women of my state overlook the fact
that there are two sides to this ques-
ton from wonlan's standpoint alone
Since l took the position | have with
reference to this matter have had
thousands Of letters and many, many
visitors from the south, women who
beg me not to let this be imposed
upon them at this time. Very many
of these women, in fact | think prac-
tically all that have written or visited
me, are in favor of woman suffrage
so long as 1t is left to the action of
the states. but they insist that to force
IL upon the south at this time Is
manifest injustice to the whole civic
community of the south.
The race question makes it impos-
sible to force this upon the south
without doing most signal injustice
to the southern people, and if it is
once forced upon them there is no
possible remedy for it, 1t is not like
the enactment of a statute which
might be repealed by a mere major
ity, but if enacted into the funda-
mental law it can only be repealed by
three -fourths of the states, and of
course there being only twelve or If
teen southern states most materially
affected they never could secure it.
Protection Of Minority.
Nov, republican government, If |
understand it correctly, is organized
not alone to take care of the rights of
the majority but also to protect the
rights of the minority. While the
majority must always rule, yet the
minority has rights which If wholly
! disregarded the government Is a bru-
ture is may have. Suppose we write
this into the fundamental law, are
you in favor of imposing upon the
south three and one-half million I'M
ers, and do you think if such thing
is attempted by the north it will re-
suit in anything else than either
breakdown of large communities in
the south or else the melting to riots
murder, ETC.? But you say of course
what the women here say to me, that
will not happen because they will dis
franchise the negro women of the
south as they DISTINGUISHED the men,
l have no doubt that is likely what
would happen. In other words, I am
asked to help write into the funda-
mental law that which would be to a
| large portion of the people of the
country cowardly lie.
| The north has sat still for forty
! years and witnessed the disfranchise-
ment of the negroes of the south, and
now they want their representatives
to write another solemn clause into
the charter and sit still for forty
years or Unfortunately while the negro
women are DISTINGUISHED
Prohibition Issue.
Another proposition has been sug-
gested by letters which l have re-
ceived, and that is that voted for the
prohibition amendment and so have
waived my theory with reference to
state rights. This proposition has
never been submitted to me by the
women of my state. 1t seems to be
the intellectual product Of the ladies
who are now visiting the state or writ
ing industriously to the people of the
state. If the state of Idaho could
have had prohibition of its own indie
pendent action and had its laws en-
forced without the embarrassment of
the national government l should
never have voted for the prohibition
amendment and l so state in public
many times. But under the COM
merce clause Of the constitution 1t
was impossible for Idaho or any other
state to protect it's state decree for
prohibition unless the national gov
eminent came to its aid. In other
words the interstate commerce clause
turned over to the national govern
ment the absolute control Of the ma
tional commerce of liquor and it was
impossible for any state to protect