The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1920-03-08
i BACKS |.
UP DAKOTA IDEA !
ON WOMAN ISSUE
Sucker Secretary of State De.
clares Faix Sex Can be
Delegates {
ENTIRE HARMONY SHOWN
Statutes and Its Construction
Exactly Same in Two Com.
monwealths
ENTIRE HARMONY SHOWN

preme courts action in awarding wOm-
en- a place on the presidential prefer
ence primary ballot as candidates for
delegates to the republican national
convention. altho there appeared to be
tacit admission on, the part Of the
court that women are not qualified
to vote for such candidates under the
North Dakota limited franchise act
OF 1917. it is interesting to note that
the Associated Press last Friday car
ried dispatch from Springfield. ILL.,
indicating that precisely the same at
titude had been adopted there.
BORROWED ILLINOIS ACT N
North Dakota in 1917 bodily bor-
rowed the Illinois limited franchise
act Of 1913, conferring upon women
the privilege Of voting for presidential
electors and for certain minor Of.
ficers. not provided for in the consti-
|fthtion. No provision was made &-ill
either net which would give women
the right to vote for delegates to
national conventions. For this reason
when the question of eligibility was
raised by Miss Minnie J. Nelson, nom.
mated for delegate by the second OF
North DakOta's three republican state
conventions. Attorney General LANCER
ruled that women are not qualified to
serve as delegates, it being admitted
that they cannot vote for such Of
ficers. and the North Dakota election
statutes providing that no one can
occupy an Office for which he is not
an ,electOr.
l. NORTH DAKOTA RULING
The North Dakota supreme court,
to whom the question was presented
by Mrs. NJ. A. Rudd of Fargo. nominal.
ed as delegate to the republican ma
tional convention by the Nonpartisan
league. ruled that inasmuch as there
Is no statute or other competent regu
latiOn denying women such right
that women are entitled to place on
the ballot as candidates for delegat tes,
and it ordered that Mrs. Rudd be
given the place which Secretary OF
State Hall denied her on the strength
Of the attorney generals. ruling. The
question Of women's eligibility to vote
for this Office was not raised, and the
court did not rule upon it. merely
holding that primary was nothing
more than nominating convention.
in which each party had the right 70
place its delegate credentials in the
hands Of any member Of that party
who might be considered qualified from
q partisan standpoint!
THE ILLINOIS RULING p
Immediately upon the heels Of this
decision comes Springfield. ILL.,, dis
patch. reading as follows:
Women may not vote for delegates
to the national convention or for party
committeeman at the primary elec.
tion on Tuesday April 13. is was an
nounced at the Office Of Louis L. Emer.
son. secretary OF state. today. The
two women who have filed petitions
as candidates to attend the national
convention may make the race. how
ever"
One Of the principal contentious Of
the state in defending Its stand IN
opposition to placing women on the
ballot as candidates for delegates to
ldllOudl CUANCHtAOIAS VI ShCh pOALv
was that the Illinois supreme court
in decision handed down in 1915 had
held that women were not qualified
to vote for delegates. The state held
that inasmuch as North Dakota had
adopted the Illinois statute it must
also adopt the construction which
Illinois had placed on this statute.
HARMONY EXISTS
North Dakota and Illinois are har
monious. the above dispatch indicates.
in holding that a delegate to national
convention is neither state or a
federal official and that consequently
laws relating to the election Of public
officials do not apply. The national
convention at Chicago will still have
the right to decide. should Illinois
and North Dakota. under limited
franchise and presidential primary
election acts which are almost identi-
cal. name women as delegates. whether
these women delegates are entitled tp
seat.
A powerful mail plane is being de-
4 veloped to carry mail over the moun-
tains, to San Francisco. and q new