Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 June 1917 — WOMEN DENIED REGISTRATION [ARTICLE]

WOMEN DENIED REGISTRATION

Case Will Be Appealed to Supreme Court for Quick Decision. Registration of women throughout the state as voters in the election of delegates to the constitutional convenion has been stopped by a judgment rendered in Superior court at Indianapolis by Judge W. W. Thornton, who declared unconstitutional that part of the law permitting the women to vote for such delegates. The same decision held the law providing for a constitutional convention and the election of delegates thereto was constitutional, the two decisions coming together in the decision of the suit brought by Henry W, Bennett to test the validity of the law calling a constitutional convention and the suffrage law,. in its relation to the election of delegates to the constitutional convention and ratification

of the constitution adopted there. The sweeping effect of the decision became known with the announcement by Judge Thornton that the injunction granted by him. preventing women from participating in the election of delegates to ths constitutional conventibn lies while appeal, which will be taken, is awaiting a decision in the supreme court. County clerks throughout* the state are now maintaining special registration places for the registration of voters in the constitutional convention election. Women have been registering even more rapidly than men. The decision affects only the special registration for the constitutional election, and since it was an injunction, county clerks are enjoined from permitting women to take any part in the election of delegates. This necessarily shuts women ~out of the registration places. Registration of male voters, however, for the constitutional convention election will proceed as usual. ■ The decision in no way affects the registration of women who desire to vote in the coming city elections, as it deals entirely with the special registration for the constitutional convention election. ,