The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1924-10-09
POLITICAL CONTESTS
OVER STATE. ISSUES
OBSCURE. MAIN FIGHT

IL Is uOuDtIul II ever DcIOIo udS
presidential election in the Unite'
States been so complicated by loca
issues in as many states as are II
evidence this year. While the en-
trance of Senator LaFollette as al
Independent candidate, with un
questioned following of considerable
numbers in some sections of thu
country, has tended to give added
interest to the presidential race, an(
while the possibility which almos
seems probability of the election
being thrown into congress for fina
determination, tends to give the
contest an unusual turn, yet in sew
eral of the states local conditions
have arisen that entirely overshad-
ow the national contest. In some
of the states the situation is such
that the result is being awaited as
of paramount Importance and in
terest not only by voters of the par
ticular state in question, but also
by voters of the nation in general.
Especially list his true of the guber-
HAUL COAtOot III thO OtaSOo Va
Texas and New York.
In Texas the democrats at their
primary broke away from traditions
and entered upon the untried politi-
cal experiment of nominating q
woman for governor. Not only the
novelty of the experiment has an
appeal to public interest but the
very circumstances surrounding the
personality of the candidate pres
ents an unusual situation. Seven
years ago the legislature of Texas
impeached Jim" Ferguson, then
governor, and removed him from
office The conviction under the
impeachment proceedings carried
the verdict that he should never
again be qualified to hold public Of
flee in Texas This year Ferguson
was candidate for the democratic
for governor but the
courts held that he was ineligible
because of the former impeachment
verdict. Thereupon, his wife, Mrs.
Miriam Ferguson, soon to become
known throughout the country as
Ma" ferguson, announced that
she would make the race, and she
did. She made it so successfully |
hat her democratic opponents were |
,wamped under an avalanche of bal
OTIS that followed upon campaign
carried on by her supporters under
he slogan, "Me for Ma" After
Mrs. Ferguson was nominated poll
ical opponents attempted to de-
,rive her of victory by legal process
the constitutional question
If whether a woman was eligible to
erve as governor. An injunction
@ keep her of the ballot was re-
used by Judge George c. Calhoun
n the district court. The court In
lealing with the charge that IL
Elected Mr.. Ferguson would in fact
re governor and Mrs. Ferguson but
figurehead and referring to ar
icles in Ferguson's newspaper and
by Mrs. Ferguson to this
fleet, made the following significant
"If we could always hold people
for what they say in
olitical campaigns we could say
hat every candidate would disqual- ,
" himself, but that is strictly
Official question left to the people,
nd not to the courts. There is an
dequate remedy to prevent her I
rom carrying out any conspiracy If $
he is elected. {
''The next and the most funda- t
rental question is whether women 2
re disqualified from holding office 9
ecause of sex. We must look for =
le answer to this either under the r
,mmon law or in the state constitu- 7
on itself. g
"The common law of England c
instituted body of rules which Il
Few out of the customs of the peo- 4
e and the decisions of judges. t
here is no question that the ancient t
lstom became law and that under t
lose customs married woman was C
cid not qualified to hold office. This e
as placed not on the ground that h
le was by law debarred, but on the s
.ound that by usage and custom a
lie would not attempt it. When l,
e early courts first passed on the "
lestion they held that she was de- c
lrred by sex. but as enlightenment Z
lvanced the judges began to hold v
at it was not an absolute prohibit b
On of the law, but that by custom c.
had become considered as the law. D
at was first contended that "
omen were too frail to hold office G
ID that they were not competent tt
reason of inferiority Of intelli- CT
nee. But by evolution women ad- 81
need in education and the judges
en- began to hold that she was Of
gible to fill ministerial positions OF
which she could employ men to Ell
the work" IL
With the legal obstacles removed OF
would appear that the most OF