Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 242, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 October 1917 — SUFFRAGE LAW HELD INVALID [ARTICLE]

SUFFRAGE LAW HELD INVALID

INDIANA SUPREME COURT SAYS LEGISLATURE CAN NOT FRANCHISE WOMEN. Indianapolis, Oct. 26.—The Indiana supreme court, in an opinion handed down today, declared unconstitutional the woman part suffrage law that was passed by the 1917 legislature. John W. Spencer, chief justice, wrote the opinion, which was concurred in as to general conclusions by Judges David Myers and Moses B. Lairy, while Judge Lawson Harvey dissented. It ujdield the decision of Judge John J. Rockford, of the Marion county superior court.

While the test case was filed in a Marion county court, and Judge Rockford’s injunction was directed against only the election commission of Indianapolis, the decision of the supreme court takes from the women of the entire state the right to vote under the law for any public officer. The opinion based its declaration that the law Was void on the fact that the constitution specifically defines the electorate as male citizens and on the court’s belief the legislature has no power to change the constitution’s definition of the electorate. Apparently there is only one way now for Indiana women to obtain the right to vote, and that is through the long process of constitutional amendment, or by means of a new constitution. The supreme court already has denied the power of the legislature to call a constitutional convention without a vote by the people on the question, and, therefore, ' little hope apparently is held out to the women of the state from the possibility of constitutional revision in the near future. The decision has been expected for weeks from the supreme court and, since the death of Judge Richard K. Erwin, of Ft. Wayne, left the supreme court with only four members, the possibility that two of them might take one view of the case and that the other two might take the opposite view always has existed. The original test suit against the law was brought by William K. Knight, of Indianapolis, to prevent the Indianapolis election commissioners from preparing ballots for the women of the city at' the coming municipal election. Mr. Knight’s complaint against the unconstitutionality of the law was upheld by the lower court and the case then was taken to the state’s highest judicial body. All over the state the news went flashing by.many channels to the women’s organizations and leaders, as soon as the supreme court decision became public. Edgar D. Bush, lieutenant-gover-nor, and now acting governor as a result of Governor Goodrich being sink, who presided over the 1917 senate, in which the final action on the law was taken, was told of the opinion from the court almost as soon as it was placed in the hands of the court. Mr. Bush declined to make any comment.