| Show i af A privileged LIGED CLASS OF i VOTERS 1 tim THE contest over the tooele election has brought ht up several beveral aea tiona tlona ron consideration leo lio the settie bettle hettle went tent ment of which will be dibou of benedit benefit t to ta the lity we purpose to on only knoof ono one of them at present it was cain caIr claimed ded by counsel fon foe the defence that the election law ibur is vold void bec bee because a use it in makes akes a class of by permitting in f t wor rien cit dozens ens ons who are not ta taxpayers to vote philp male citizens are aro required ato 0 be payers iff ni A bldr arder td 0 bo be qualified fled to voi voy vou vilis this 3 an argucci argument i it intended for a blow against woman suffrage in utah X aluta u la little iny degation ega tion will show that it has no legal or iati lati rational onal force tho the right of suffrage and of af holding office in the terri ories tories ia ig placed by the laws of congress absolutely in the hands bands handsor sor of the territorial L itoda Legisla legislatures tulee turee subject anly nl Y t to certain io 0 wit witt those hose nights rights can only ta conferred upon citizens of he the united states alioto above the thet ga opt alf twenty one year jear or above that aga who have bave legally and tend properly declared their anten ti tinn tion to become such no citizen can car bo bot t deprived of 0 chose OH account orrace color or previous condition of bena BerA tude no personae longing army or navy of the united states can be elected to any civil office in any of the teni Toni tories nor hor allowed be to vote by reason of being in such territory unless it it had been his permanent domicile for six months previous utah forms no exception to this general rule for the territories the organic act specified the qualifications at the first election and provided that thai the qualifications of voters and of holding office at a all subsequent elections shall bhail be such as shall ba bee prescribed by the legislative assembly the only limitation heing keing that those rights nights shall be A exercised 0 only by citizens of the united ettes states including those recognized aa as citizens by the treats treaty with the he republic of meil meki lexi co concluded feb 2114 1 1 acting on this general aswell as well weil as specific authority i tho the legislative assembly assell y of og tillah territory passed an act conferring the elec elee electia 19 iye ive franchise dypry woman in the tp territory of the aae are of twenty ope and up upwards born in the united states or who ha 13 ibe fhe wife widow oil gil 0 si daughter of a citizen such persons are arp thus entitled t d to vote at any ally election providing ing they ha have e resided in the to territory tory alx aix and in the p precinct net month mouth previous to registration by the laws of congress all persona persons born in the united states and not subject to any foreign power powe excluding indiana not taxed acre arre are declared to be citizens of ta the io united states women born in this country are therefore citizens alist is t as Ms much as mene mend men the same laws nig also provide that any woman who Is to married to th a citizen tind and who might herself be lawfully naturalized shall shail be deemed a citi citizen children of naturalized citizens of the united states who were under twenty one ohe years of rge age atthe time of the parent parents ls naturalization if it dwellen dwelling g in the united state states lire are under the law considered citizens thereof irrespective spec tive of sek hek sex irwill it will thus be perceived that in granting women the elective franchise the negla legia legislature lattire wm was acting within its powers and in accord with the united states statutes but buk it is claimed that an invidious distinction is made in relation to women voters because they are not required to be taxpayers ve we the wives of citizens pay taxes through their husbands there would be no kense in half of an estate being assessed to the husband 9 abandand band dand and the other hait halt to the wife J if wootan w hams bams property in her own right which she bhe can do lu in thia this territory she pays taxes 9 thereon pem pen awiley but we would ask should women be required to pay poll tax and go out on the roads roada and work are women required to bear arms or to sit on i juries u or to serve in a posse comita cus the united states statutes mig might be challenged with equal propriety on the same ground A male alien I 1 in brdey broer order braer to become a claiz citizen en is required to take out his papers in court swearing allegiance to this government and forswear ing alk allegiance lance to the government of ais his dia ria tive country but a female allec can an become a citizen simply by marriage toa to a citi citizen ren ien Is this tats creating a privileged class of ci citizens in tin nil all states and ind territories there xii xai are le certain persons parsons who are excused from serving berving on juries and from militia duty do these pro provisions va I 1 create a privileged class of citizens th therease Ther arear enra eare a different din dlf grades of citizens and the law should be uniform as it relates to each the rule ruie must apply equally to all persons jn in that grade without invidious ous bus purs personal ollai distinctions the lawin law jaw in relation to women voters applies to all of the female bex BOX ofa of a certain desi designated g status jao with male citizens it might be argued with equal reason that the law jaw which allows a male amale citizen twenty one years old to vote but denies this privilege to a mal mats 3 citizen twenty years old oid olda creates a privileged clas clasa of citizens ancl and might le ie it 11 not bu be argued with much maro more reason and propriety that a privileged class clam ot citizens is created by conferring upon one ono sex alone the elective franchise and aud shut ting out from any vote or 01 yol vol voice ce in natio national balor or state affairs at least ne rip hait hak of the citizens of the country no matter how much iauch they may or may nt not contribute to the national or stath state re revenues vohies the sexes being in bomb some respects essentially dilfer different erit though equally citizens should have regulations suited to those differences without depriving either df just rights and privileges as citizens the point raised agal I 1 dl the I 1 election law ivi it is easy to see was a brought forward in desperation oyer over a feeble case ease the legislature is clearly endowed with all the powers it has exercised in the passage of tho the election laws and it is equally plain that in conferring upon bu women uhe ahe rights righta embodied therein na no constitutional provision oi or statutory prohibition has been blit but that for both sexes consistency hasu has been pegi maintained as a balance to equality wo have e no noi Idea dea that any coa cop court rt of competent jurisdiction will i view the issue raised this qu question in any other light than aaa quibble interposed to d delay elay arl an expected unfavorable decree |
