El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-06-21
WILL THE LEGISL AZURE VIOLATE ITS
PLEDGE ABOUT SUFFRAGE?

WILL the legislature, at its special session, to be
convened, ratify the national constitutional amend
ment enfranchsing women? Or viii it pass the issue over
taking reason the fact that state suffrage re-
ected at the recent election constitutional amend
of that kind?
The Democratic Platform adopted at Waco On Septem-
Der 3, 1918, contains this clause:
"We favor the submission of amendment to the
federal constitution to the various legislatures giving
right Of suffrage TO women the same terms as men
and that the legislature Tatfy the when sub
mtted
Upon this platform the governor and the legislature
elected Every Democrat in each house is bound
thereby The people, having elected the legislature on
that PLATFORM have right to demand its execution accord
ng 70 the letter They have the right regard every
Democratic member IN honor bound carry it out The
vote cast IN that election overwhelming The oppo
siion practically nil Therefore, It must be expected
that the legislature having been elected that platform
by almost unanimous vote, its obligations viii not be ig
uOred
The question involved in this federal amendment is
shah throughout the United States be permitted
10 vote terms as men? Some claim that this
question has been settled N the negative b. the election
recently held on what popularity called the suf
TRACE amendment That claim is absurd, analysis
Of the vote viii show The amendment submitted at the
election twofoid and yet submitted as one
proposition It provided IN substance that all and
women, except aliens not fully natu1azed, should be
titled TO vote in Texas.
Il VIII be that in the amendment to the federal
constitution the question the legislature is pass is
shall be permitted to vote throughout the entire
union the terms The question sub
Etted N the amendment to the state constitution was,
shall and women, except aliens not fully naturazed
entitled only2 Can any intelligent
say that the questions the same? If there moth
ing involved in each amendment except suffrage
they would not be the questions because in the first
the question whether every the United States
shall be permitted to vote the terms the
vote in the United States and the other is shall every
in Texas be permitted to vote the terms
the IN Texas irrespective Of what they do in other
parts Of the unon2 Anyone see that that is not the
question consistently vote for statewide
prohibition and against nationwide prohibition.
man can also very consistently for nationwide proh
bition, and against statewide prohibition.
An instruction by the people to its representatives, not
pass statewide prohibition statute would not be
instruction the legislature to adopt nationwide pro-
hbion amendment to the constitution Of the United
States which would entirely destroy the liquor business
But in the question before the legislature the differ
IS much marked than the difference between
the statewide prohibition and nationwide prohibition
amendments.
The question submitted in the late elecn was whether
they should take away from the foreigners Texas who
not fully naturaized the right to vote until they
should be completely naturahzed; and whether
the native of the and those foreigners who
completely naturazed should be permitted &c vote
The questions the same and therefore, the
ton cannot be regarded persuasive to the les
Iature much less mandatory and conclusive.
Section "a Of article III of the state constitution pro-
Fdes substance that after bill has been considered and
defeated BY either house of the legislature, bill
tanning the same substance shall be passed into law
ing the session It is further provided in substance
that after resolution has been acted and defeated
resolution containing the substance shall be con-
sidered at the session Suppose resolution should
offered the house Of representatives demanding that
the federal constitution be amended as TO permit wo-
men 70 vote the same terms men, and defeated
Would that render the legislature p0werless to pass
lther resolution amending the state constitution to
permit to vote in Texas the same terms as
nen2 Surely not
Turn it around the other way Would the fact that the
house CT representatives, defeated resolution attempting
10 amend the state constitution conferng the right Of
suffrage in Texas on the same terms as men
render It powersss adopt resolution passed by the
federal congress giving suffrage to every the
lnion the terms men? To reach that concu-
determine
endstory Of the state constitution IS the IN sub
the amending the federal constitution, OF IN
her words that Texas and the United States are synony
nous terms.
Every who has served the legislature knows
hat all they have to do is add something the substance
the resolution that is defeated take something from
il order the consideration of the resolution
hus altered and changed Ia
for the legislators to obey the win of the