The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1920-05-05
SUFFRAGE VALID, ATTORNEY
GENERAL DAWSON HOLDS
Says Kentucky Women Have
Right to Vote for Presiden-
N tiaI Electors

states, will have the right to vote
for presidential electors in the COM
ing presidential election. This
opinion was given George G.. Speer,
state banking commissioner, by At
torney General Charles I. Dawson,
who holds that House bill 42s, to
provide for woman suffrage in presi-
Dental elections. is valid, and that
under its provisions women may
participate in the presidential cleo
ton.
Mr.. Speer also inquired IL women
have a right to participate in the
Democratic county conventionsI to
be held May 1, for the purpose of
selecting delegates to the Democra-
tic state convention to be held in
Louisville on May 4. On this sub
ject Attorney General Dawson said:
81 am in no position to give you an
opinion, as do not have before me
either the call or the party rules
under which these conventions are
to be held"
Text Of Dawson Opinion
Attorney General Dawson's opin-
ion following:
THE legislature at It's 1920 ses-
sion passed House bill 429, which
gives to women the right to vote in
all elections of electors for presi-
dent and vice president provided
they are citizens of the United
States, are twenty-one years of age,
have resided in the state one year,
in the county six months and IN the
precinct in which they offer to vote,
sixty days next preceding the cleo
ton, and who have not been con-
victed in court of competent juris-
diction of treason, felony or bribery
in an election, or certain other high
misdemeanors. The law makes the
same provisions as to excluding
those confined in prison under judy
ment, for some penal offense and
idiots and insane persons as is made
| with reference to male voters.
unless, between now and the
date of the presidential election, the
requisite number of states ratify
the federal constitutional amend
ment giving to women the right to
vote. their right to vote in Kentucky
will necessarily be determined by
the validity Of House bill, 429,
above referred to.
Section of Article IL Of the
constitution of the United States
proviiss as follows:
'Ea 3 state shall appoint, in such
manner as the legislature thereof
may direct, a number of electors
equal TO the whole number of sena-
tors Ind representatives to which
the State may be entitled in con-
gress; but no senator or representa-
tive or person holding an Office of
trust or profit under the United
States shall be appointed an cleo
tor
1T will be observed under this
provision of the federal constitution
that the power to prescribe the man.
ner in which presidential electors
shall be chosen is placed in the leg
islature of each state. Prescribing
the manner in which presidential
electors are chosen involves, not on
ly the manner of placing them on
the ballot, but necessarily involves
prescribing the qualifications Of
those who vote for such electors.
No COnlictiOn
Section las of the state consti-
tuition in no wise conflicts with the
provisions of the federal constitu-
tion above referred to. Section las
OF the constitution of Kentucky pro-
Vides, in part, as follows:
Every male citizen of the United
states. of the age of 81 years who
mas resided in the state one year
and in the county six months and
the precinct in which he offers to
vote sixty days next preceding the
election. shall be voter in said
precinct, and not elsewhere.
The court Of appeals, in the case
OF Atchison VS.. Lucas. SO Kentucky,
4sS, implicitly held that this con-
stitutional provision as to the quail
ications of voters referred to the
qualification of voters for those Of
nces created by the constitution. In
that opinion the court used this lah-
guage
We do not mean to adjudge that
ohces Of legislative creation may
not b filled by women. or the right
Iof suffrage granted them in certain
'aN but. on the contrary. such
rights may be conferred We have