The nonpartisan leader. [volume], February 01, 1917, Image 8

About The nonpartisan leader. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1915-1921

Image provided by: State Historical Society of North Dakota

                
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By Ralph L. Harmon, stafF correspon
dent of the Leader
BISMARCK,bills
Jan. 26.—On January
23, 10 days after the senate pass
ed senate 12 and 13 intro
duced by Senator Lindstrom, granting
•women the right to vote, Lieutenant
Governor Kraabel and Speaker "Wood
signed the engrossed copies, Governor
Frazier put his signature to the docu
ments, and they were filed with the
secretary of state. The ceremony in
both houses was allowed to intrude
upon other business. The women who
were interested in the measures had
planned for the event several days in
advance, and everything had been in
readiness on Monday, but owing to
storms which delayed a number of
trains, detaining some senators," the
senate did not transact any but routine
matters, and the suffrage bills were
held up one day.
Yellow quill pens, in suffrage colors,
were provided for all the signatures,
and these were afterward presented to
some of the prominent suffrage work
ers, the one used by Lieutenant Gover
nor Kraabel being given to Mrs. Eliza
beth Preston Anderson, president of
the W. C. T. U. of North Dakota, and
the one used by Speaker "Wood to Mrs.
Grace Clendenning, president of the
Votes for "Women League of North Da
kota. In the senate, on motion of
Senator Rowe, Governor Kraabel ap
pointed Senators Rowe and Lind
strom to escort Mrs. Anderson to the
president's desk and receive the pen.
She replied with a brief speech, thank
ing the senate and expressing the hope
that the women would deserve the
franchise and never dishonor the legis
lature that had granted it. In the
house a similar procedure was follow
ed, Mr. Hendrickson of Burke county
making the motion that the pen used
by Speaker Wood be presented to Mrs.
Clendenning. Mr. Hendrickson and
Representative Hagan and Bowman
were named by the speaker to escort
her to the chair, and she likewise
thanked the body.
GRANTS LIMITED
SUFFRAGE AT ONCE
Applause from the galleries, which,
however, were not crowded, greeted the
conculsion of both ceremonies, and
members of both houses participated.
Down in the executive offices, Gov
ernor Frazier used the third pen in
affixing his signature of approval and
presented It to Mrs. Mary Darrow
Weible of Fargo, vice president of the
"Votes for Women League. The offices
were filled with a distinguished com
pany, including several state officials
and prominent women suffragists of
the state.
The bills thus signed do not grant
complete and immediate suffrage.
Senate Bill 12 grants a limited fran
chise, permitting women to vote for
presidential electors, county surveyors,
county constables, all officers of cities,
villages and towns (except police
magistrates and city justices of the
peace) and for township officers.
Senate Bill 13 is the constitutional
amendment which, with the approval
of the 1917 legislature, will be sub
mitted to the legislature of 1919, and if
then approved, will be submitted to
popular vote in 1920. If adopted at that
time it. will grant women the same
franchise rights as men, eliminating in
the constitution the word "male" before
the word "person."
ROLLCALL OF SENATE
GIVEN IN DETAIL
In the senate the rollcall on senate
bill 12, for limited suffrage, got 37
ayes, 11 nays, and one senator was ab
sent. The rollcall was as follows:
For the bill:
Allen Lindstrom
Benson McCarten
Cahill McGray
Carey Martin
Drown Morkrid
Ellingson Mortenson
Englund Mostad
Ettestad Murphy
Gibbens Nelson, Richland
Gronvold Pendray
Hamerly Ployhar
Hamilton Putnam
Heckle Rowe
Hemmingsen Sandstrom
Hunt Sikes
Hyland Stenmo
King Welford
Kirkeide Wenstrom
Levang
Against the bill:
Beck Ketschmar
Haggart McBride
Jacobsen McLean
How the Suffrage Bill Passed
Rollcall in North Dakota House and Senate Given—Ceremonies
Over Signing of the Measure
Governor Frazier ig seated at the table signing the bill. To his right standing next to *he table are Mrs. Elizabeth Preston Anderson, president of
the state W. C. T. U., Mrs. Grace Clendenning of Fargo, president of the state Votes for Women League, Mrs. Mary Darrow Weible, of Fargo, vice-presi
dent of the state Votes for Women League and Mrs. Elizabeth Darrow O'Neil, of Fargo, president of the state Congressional Union. Standing to the left
of Governor Frazier next to the table are Mrs. Lynn Frazier, wife of the governor. Miss Bonita Townley and Mrs. A. C. Townley, wife and daughter of
the president of the Nonpartisan League, and Mrs. J. E. Stevens, field agent of the Anti-Tuberculosis society.
Nelson, G. Forks Toung
Porter Zieman
Thoreson
BIG BIZ PUTS ON THE SCREWS
The opposition to the farmers cause at Bismarck is prepar
ing to flood the senate with telegrams against House Bill 44, which
has passed the house and is now up to the senate. The big pack
ing interests, the railroads, the grain combine and others who
command the services of a certain class of bankers and merchants
have put on the screws, and the senators will get hundreds of let
ters opposing House Bill 44, which, if passed by the senate, will
enable the carrying out of the League program.
A large sum of money has been spent to print thousands
of pamphlets denouncing as "socialistic" the constitution the
League senators and representatives want to submit to the people.
These are being sent to bankers and merchants and it is hoped
will aid in increasing the telegrams, letters and petitions against
the farmers'cause. The opposition is desperate. It is feared now
that not as many senators as at first thought will vote against
House Bill 44. They are beginning to see the people want this bilL
The opposition hopes to bolster up wavering senators to fight the
farmers.
Therefore the farmers must act and act at once. Petitions
and letters from the farmers urging the passage of Bill 44 are
piling up at Bismarck. But there should be more if the senate is
to realize once and for all that it must not trifle with the
people's will.
If you favor carrying out the League program as soon as
it can be done—not two years or four years later or maybe never
—fill out and mail the petition on page 18 of this issue of the
Leader. Sign it and send it yourself, as directed, if you have no
time to get friends and neighbors to sign. But get as many names
as possible. This is a crisis for the farmers of North Dakota. No
thing that will help the cause should be neglected. Each one
of you can help. Show the senate that the telegrams and letters
coming in from bankers and merchants who oppose the farmers'
cause is not the sentiment of the people. Turn to page 18 and cat
out the petition.
EIGHT
Zieman was the only League mem
ber who voted against the bill.
Senator Paulson of Hillsboro was
absent.
ROLLCALL IN HOUSE
IS FOUR TO ONE
In the house this measure carried by
88 to 19, six not voting, and nearly all
League members voting for it The
rollcall was as follows:.
Those voting in the affirmative were:
Allen Hagan
Arnold Haines
Bailey Kanson
Bowman Harding
Brown Harris
Bryans Havens
Byrne Hendrickson
Carignan Hoare
Can- Keitzman
Christenson Kelly
Church Kimball
Cole Knox
Dettler Kurtz
Divet Laird
Dupuis Lang
Eckert Larson, Ransom
Erb Larson, Stutsman
Everson Lathrop
Ferguson Lazier
Fraser Liederbach
Frederickson Lowe
McDonnell Prater
McManus Quam
Maddock, Benson Reishus
Maddock, Mo'ntr'l Renauld
Magnuson Riba
Marshall Rice
Martin Sandbeck
Maxwell Schick
Miller Sinclair
Moen, Adams Smith
Myhre Stair
Nims Stinger
Noltimier Strom
O'Connor, G. ForksTenneson
O'Connor, PembinaVarnum
Oksendahl Wadeson
Olson, Bowman Walton
Olson, Burke Ward
Olson, Eddy Weld, Kidder
Patterson Weld, WeUs
Peterson, Towner Whipple
Petterson, Sargent Wilson
Pleasance Mr. Speaker
Those voting in the negative were:
Blanchard Moen, Traill
Geiger Nathan
Geiszler Olson, Cavalier
Isaak Rott
Koller Schrag
Kunkel Storstad
Larson, Cass Turner
Mackoff Weber
Mees Wiley
Meyer
Absent and not voting:
Ebel Lageson
Gunhus Martz
Hoghaug Wright
SLIGHT CHANGES
ON OTHER BILL
The senate rollcall on Senate Bill IS
for constitutional .suffrage was the
same as on the other, except, that
Senator Porter who voted against
Senate BiU 12, voted for Senate Bill 13.
In the house there were a few
changes. Those who voted to give
women the limited suffrage in Senate
Bill 12, and voted against constitution*
«1 suffrage in Bill 13. were: Kelly,
Schick and Stinger, Those who
voted to give women constitutional
suffrage according to Senate Bill 13,
but against limited suffrage in Senate
BiU 12, were: Larson of Casa and
Storstad.
A GOOD APPOINTMENT
(Editorial in the Valley City (N. D.)
Courier).
Rev. E. Vennilya of this city Is
one of the appointees of Governor Fra
*ier for the board of regents for a four
year term. The Courier certainly most
heartily approves of Governor Frazier's
selection from our home city. We
know of no man who is better equipped
or better qualified from every stand
point than is Mr. Vermilya, What
ever the outcome of this fight may be
the governor has made a most accept
able appointment on this important
board and if the deal goes through as
Ifce League has started in to do, the
institutions of the state will be in safe
Keeping so far as Mf. Vennilya is
concerned. The other gentlemen ap
pointed by the governor are new men
rn public life to us and all we can do is
to hope for the best We do not feel
any very dire results wiU follow
•oywaft
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