The reasons which have influenced the committee in recommending an amendment so radical and sweeping in the changes which it will create if finally adopted by the people, are briefly these: The question of granting the right of suffrage to women equally with men, is one that has been seriously and widely agitated for years, and while, like other political reforms which change in any considerable degree the old and established order of things, it has met with strong opposition, on the other hand it has been ably advocated by men and women distinguished alike for their intellectual ability and their excellent judgment. Although we believe that there should be certain necessary and proper restrictions to the exercise of the elective franchise, we are of the opinion that there are reasonable grounds to doubt whether the distinction of sex in the matter of voting, is not, in a large measure, a fictitious one. The interests of women in all matters pertaining to good government are certainly identical with those of men. In the matter of property their rights conceded by law are equal, and in some respects superior to those of men; and if the principle of no taxation without representation is a just one as applied among men, it would seem that it might in justice be extended to women. As the reasons given above are strongly urged by the advocates of woman suffrage, and as several petitions, numerously signed by citizens of the State, asking for some action on the part of the House in this matter, are in the hands of the committee, we have deemed it advisable, although not equally agreed as to the main question involved, to recommend the passage of the resolution by the House, in order that the people of the State may have an opportunity of expressing their will at the ballot-box as to the expediency of extending the right of suffrage to women.
| Samuel H. Blackman, Chairman of Committee on State Affairs. | |
| James Burnes, Chairman of Committee on Elections. |
Report accepted, and joint resolution placed on the general order.
On March 18 the following joint resolution passed the House by a vote of 67 to 27, and passed the Senate by a vote of 26 to 4,* proposing an amendment to section I of article VII. of the constitution, in relation to the qualification of electors:
Resolved, By the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Michigan, That at the election when the amended constitution shall be submitted to the electors of this State for adoption or rejection, there shall be submitted to such electors the following propositions, to be substituted in case of adoption, for so much of section 1, of article vii., as precedes the proviso therein, in the present constitution of this State as it now stands, and substituted for section 1, article VII., in said amended constitution, if the latter is adopted, to wit:
Section 1. In all elections, every person of the age of twenty-one years who shall have resided in this State three months, and in the township or ward in which he or she offers to vote ten days next preceding an election, belonging to either of the following classes, shall be an elector and entitled to vote:
First—Every citizen of the United States; Second—Every inhabitant of this State, who shall have resided in the United States two years and six months, and declared his or her intention to become a citizen of the United States pursuant to the laws thereof, six months preceding an election; Third—Every inhabitant residing in this State on the twenty-fourth day of June, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
Said proposition shall be separately submitted to the electors of this State for their adoption or rejection, in form following, to wit: A separate ballot may be given by every person having the right to vote, to be deposited in a separate box. Upon the ballot given for said proposition shall be written, or printed, or partly written and partly printed, the words, "Woman Suffrage,—Yes"; and upon ballots given against the adoption thereof, in like manner, the words, "Woman Suffrage,—No." If at said election a majority of the votes given upon said proposition shall contain the words, "Woman Suffrage,—Yes," then said proposition shall be substituted for so much of section 1, of article vii., as includes the proviso therein in the present constitution of
[1]- ↑ The following named representatives voted yea: Messrs, Armstrong, Bailey, Bartholomew, Blackman, Briggs, Brown, Brunson, Buell, Burns, Cady, Carter, Chamberlain, Collins, Dintruff, Drake, Drew, Edwards, Fancher, Ferguson, Garfield, Gravelink, Gilmore, Goodrich, Gordon, Green, Haire, Harden, Hewitt, Hosner, Howard, Hoyt, Kellogg, Knapp, Lamb, Luce, E. R. Miller, R. C. Millers Mitchell, Morse, O' Dell, Parker, Parsons, Pierce, Priest, Remer, Rich, Robinson, Sanderson, Scott, Sessions, Shaw, Smith, Taylor, Thomas, Thompson, VanAken, VanScoy, A. Walker, F. Walker, Walton, Warren, Welch, Welker, Wheeler, Withington, Wixon, Speaker—67. The following named Senators voted yea: Messrs. Anderson, Beattie, Brewer, Butterfield, Childs, Clubb, Cook, Crosby, Curry, DeLand, Ely, Goodell, Gray, Hewitt, Isham, Lewis, Mickley, Mitchell, McGowan, Neasmith, Prutzman, Richardson, Sparks, Sumner, Sutton, Wells—26.
