A Setback for Suffrage

In September 1917 a Superior Court Judge John J. Rochford of Marion County, Indiana, ruled that the limited women's suffrage bill passed by the Indiana legislature earlier that year was unconstitutional. The essence of his decision was that the legislature did not have the power to grant women the vote because the Indiana constitution "specifies who may have a right to vote, and does not mention women."

Back in Ainsworth, I expect Pearl Ols was annoyed — but not entirely discouraged, for the same News article that reported this decision also said it would shortly be appealed to the Indiana Supreme Court.

Around the state, women continued registering to vote, in the hope that the upcoming appeal would reverse Judge Rochford's ruling.


Sources:
♦ "Judge Holds Woman's Suffrage Bill Unconstitutional." Hobart News 20 Sept. 1917.
♦ Monks, Leander (ed.). Courts and Lawyers of Indiana. Indianapolis: Federal Publishing Co., Inc., 1916. Google books. Web. 1 Dec. 2010.