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Show 68 ; . TOE WOMAN'S EXPONENT. FM5IEI.IE Editor. B. WELM, in Salt Lake Citj, Utah Terms: One copy one year, S3. 00; one copy six months $1.00 Ten copies for the price of nine. Advertising rates: Each square, ten lines of nonpareil pace, one time, $2.50: per month, $3. 00. A liberal discount to ;rcgular adrcrtisers. Exponent 0Hce, Lower West Room of the Council 'House, South Temple Street. Business hoars from 30 a. m. to 5 p. m. every day except Sunday. Address all Imsiness communications to Publisher Woman's Exponent, Salt Lake City Utah. PnbliBhed semi-monthl- SALT LAKE CITY, OCTOBER I, 1830. WOMAN'S RIGHT TO VOTE IN UTAH CONTESTED. We publish in this iseue some particulars con. cerning the attempt recently made Id take the suffrage from the women of this Territory. All at once these "wise men of Gotham" have declared the law conferring the franchise upon woman null and void, so positively,thatthey peremptorily order the names of certain women and H other women to be erased from the registration list. Thrr Supreme Court issue a writ of mandamus to enforce this demand. ig jt not a grave reflection upon these legal gentlemen thoroughly acq Jain ted with matters pertaining to legislation, and the construction of law, to Jiave passed over in silence a . matter which has len so loudly talked of everywhere its merits and demerits so extensively discussed, and have alio wed to remain a law for ten years without a demur,and now to emphatically declare as Judge Sutherland did in or Wednesday f: his-argume- nt " giving women the right to vote." According to tills positive statement women here have never cast a lawful ballot? 0 what inconsistency will they accuse women next? In the name of reason and justice we would ask as Mrs. Blake did at a convention ht which yrc were present don't you take women to the end ftbe "why world and jump them oil?" One of the principal features of the objections urged by the plaintiff's lawyers was that the law of 1870, now in question, did not require women to pay taxes, and consequently stamped the act as special, legislation; and as the act of 1859 prohibited any male from voting unless he was a tax payer, that was general legislation, and the two conflicted, but were not contradictory. This question about tax paying seems to be a disease with men, and yet they know that every woman who Holds any property whatever in her own right is required by law to pay taxes, and that thousauds of women, both wives and widows pay taxes in this Territory. Poll tax Is the tax from which they are exempt, that weonly are aware of, and all this furore b.xu t a privileged c lass of voters, is all foth and nowenfe. There were several interesting points in the arguments, which are of great consequence to all who have the vital question of woman suffrage at heart. We shall publish all the arguments made,Jn full, in our next ixeue, October 15, as the paper was nearly ready for the when the question which involves woman's press right - to vote was raised. Meanwhile, we would say, this is not the time for men or women. to sleep ujon their oar?, but watch the enemy's rank and'.Ife well, and never lows an to defend opportunity the right. Let those who wish to maintain civil andVehViona-libertystand, firm in he. hour of dangerd WOMAN'S EXPONENT. trust in the living God, Who knows the secrets of all hearts The defense affirm that the Supreme Court has not the power to issue mandamus. If this demurrer could be strenuously maintained, then thoe who are so anxious to do away with women voters would have to raise some other question, or attack from another quarter. But it is to be hoped the women will give the enemy "no quarter," and they will be obliged to succumb to a law which has been practised and observed for ten years, and which is calculated, in the very nature of thing", to foster good institutions and practises, promote industries among the people, elevate society, and eventually lift woman to a much higher plane than that enjoyed by her in the past. We attended the sitting of the Court on Thursday afternoon, according to adjournment from Wednesday evening, when the arguments were made upon the merits of the question, but Chief Justice Hunter explained that the Court was not prepared to render a decision in the case of mandamus, and therefore the court adjourned, without transacting any business, until four o'clock p. m1. to-da- y. We have ho idea what the legal opinion in this matter will be, but we know that woman's cause is in the hands of a higher tribunal than that of a Supreme Court, and that it will con y triuhiph over every obstacle that prejudice, tradition, envy or malice may place in tha way of woman's advancement and political equality. tin-all- .Man proposes, God disposes." ATTEMPT TO DISFRANCHISE WOMEN. We give below full particulars of the heroic movement of a few wise acres who have proclaimed their chivulrrj a "CocK ltobins" by pouncing upon the "Jenny Wrens." How very magnanimous they have proven themselves to him who builds himself upon another's ruin,'' Not that we have an idea that they can succeed, but it will not be their fault if they do not. They have no doubt learned by heart the coward's mural. "Always hit someone smaller or weaker than yourself." Or as Lillie Devereux Blake pertinently said, concerning the same subject on & former occasion,they resolved "to cut off someears!!" "But when they came to consider body's whose ears they could cut off, they were much puzzled until one old Fox who had eaten avast quantity of mice in his day said, "Cut off the ears of the Field Mice." "These Field Miceare little and weak, they cannot hurt us whatever we do to them." In the Supreme Court of Utah Territory: Affidavit and petition for Mandamus. Territory op Utah, S3. County ok Salt Lake. George It. Maxwell being first duly sworn according to law deposes as follows- lama citizen of the United States, native born, and more than 21 years of age. I reside in Salt Lake City, bait Lake County; Utah Territory, and have so resided for about ten years past. I own taxable property and reside in and have o resided for more than two years past in the precinct of said city and county. I further sUte that I ?ra a duly registered voter on the registration list of voters made in accordance aUd of I further state that Robert T. Burton is dulv elected, qualified and acting assessor of voters in and for said TerrftSrv in rtrati0n UTtSto01 this and not officer ofanyofthe the registmtion lis?Tf C7n county by him made for county luLToT1 ZZoL sutin"-1'81?110- toin! ?L J rfot atLltfS?ime9i tojtod " Ue offlcer- - I ftJES lelief that said list con- f0,l0WinS who are voters,a I state on infor- - mation and belief,viz.,EmmeIin B vve,fs Maria M. KMhA., onH Aira a n .... AttuuwK r j large number of the names of women residin? the various precincts of said Salt Lake CounrV amounting to several thousand in number the exact names and number of the same l me unknown; that being informed that saidar sons above named, and the names of 0Er" females to me unknown as above stated wero and had been placed on said list by saidassessor and register ss aforesaid, I, on the 24th day of September, A. D. 1880, made a demand in writ ing upon said assessor and register at his office and to his authorised and acting deputy then and there being; to strike off from said list of voters the names aforesaid and the names of all females found in or contained In said list on the ground that the said persons, nor any of them, nor any woman had any right to vote; that said Burton by his duly authorized and acting deputy, then and there refused to comply with said demand and said names of said persons, as lawful voters remained, and yet remain, as I state on information and belief, in said registration lists as lawful voters in the county and precincts of which they are listed. And afHant alleges, on his information and belief, and so states the fact to be, that said persons named, and all other women whose names are on said list as aforesaid, are not, nor are any of them, lawful voters; and the retention of said names on said list as such, must be and is a violation of the law and of the rights of affiant as a la wfnl voter, and of the rights of all other lawful voters. The said Burton has until the 10th day of October next to make his return of the registration list of the various precincts and that in the mean time such- return may be made at any time, and that said list was completed by said officer on the 19th day of September, inst., and thdt affiant is informed and verily believes that said officer declares that he will and intends to return said list containing the names aforesaid, and the names of a large number of other women as voters, all of which would be in violation of law and of the rights of affiant, and all other lawful voters. Wherefore affiant prays for relief as follows: For u writ of mandamus or mandate to be issued out of and from this court, commanding and directing Robert T. Burton, Assessor and Register of Voters forSalt Lake County, Utah voters or oan .LflKe uounty, made by him, the names of the following persons, viz.: Emmeline B. Wells, Maria M. Biythe and Mrs. A. G. Paddock, and also the names of all women whose names thereon appear as voters, on the receipt of said writ; or that he show cause before this Court at the Federal Court Room, in the Wasatch Building, Salt Lake Gity, JSalt LakeCounty, Utah Territory, on the 29th day of September, 1880, at 7 o'clock p. m. of saiu day, why he has not done so; also that in the meantime the said officer be ordered not to return said list by him made, or any copy thereof, to any election officer until the further order of this court. Geo. R. Maxwell. Subscribed and sworn to before seal. me, this . 25th day of Septem ber, A. D., 1880. d", - J. McKnight, Notary Public. After the reading of the above, the Court promptly issued the writ of mandamus, the text of which is here given: George R. Maxwell vs. Robert T. Burton, Assessor and Register of voters for Salt Lake County, Utah Territory, The People of, the United States of the Territory of Utah, to Robert T. Burton, Assessor and ltegister of voters for Salt Lake County, Territory of Utah, Greeting: Whereat. It manifestly, appears to us by the affidavit of George R. Maxwell, a party beneficially interested therein, that you fas assessor and register of voters for the County of Salt Lake and Territory of Utah, and the various precincts of said county, have listed as lawful voters in the registration list by you made, as Register of voters for Salt Lake the names of Emmeline B. Wells, MariaCounty, M. Biythe, iaddock, all women; also a large ,A of 'the number names of other who are residents of Salt Lake County, persons and are women, as lawful voters, and, Whereat, It also appears that the petitioned, George R. Maxwell, is a lawful, and registered voter of said county, and that he made op'you, -- |
