Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1871-12-21
Suffrage in Wyoming.


SPRINGFIELD, III. Dcc. ~.
To the Editor Of The Lreasag Post
I preceive in your paper OF the 9th
inst, an editorial headed death OF
Woman Suffrage in Wyoming
which, whatever nigh, have been the
basis of the writer, does not correct
w state the history of the law ofthat
Territory comforting the right OF sui
frage on woman.
/ presume you will allow me to
state Tor publication the facts OF the
case as | learned them from Govern
or Campbell, Chief justice Howe and
others of that Territory, shortly after
the law was passed, and leave 1t to
your readers whether woman suffrage
has had an impartial aid fer fr'aI
At the first election, in 1859, the
two houses of the Legislature were
exclusively Democratic, and there
were; if 1 rightly remember, o"t OF
the entire number Of twenty mem
bcrs, FIVE livery stable and whiskey
saloon keepers, u or two lawyers;
Of whom the less said the better, and
some good men. This Legislature
ouarrelled with the Governor, and
tried to treat him with contempt, and
among other things they, without any
one requesting the passage OF such a
law, conceived the idea that they
could put a good joke on hun by
passing the law in question. lie, it
will be remembered, was q bachelor,
and opposed to woman suffrage.
They supposed he would veto the
bill /; so it was passed by a nearly, II
not quite. unanimous, vote IN both
houses.
The Governor conceived, however,
that some jokes had two edges, and
under the advice of some other terri
torial officers, signed the bill, and it
became a law.
In its effects, as. jurors, women
were found not to tolerate those
twin vices OF lewdncss and drunken
ness which prevail to considerable ex-
tent in the new territory. They were
unsafe persons to act as jurors on
the trial of persons charged with
these offences.
At the polls, lewd women did not
take front seats or, indeed, any
seats. The first woman's vote was
cast by a lady over seventy years old,
and smoking, swearing. and lighting
did not exist.
Women sometimes voted m way
and husbands the other; yet there
was no increased crop OF divorces or
matrimonial squabbles. Further. at
the election of 1870, the Democratic
candidate tor delegate in Congress
was a nan of low character. Judge
Jones, the Republican candidate, was
a man Of excellent reputation. The
women supported the latter and he
was elccted-elected only in conse-
qncnce of womcn's votes in his favor.
This, OF course, made Democrats
quarrel with the law.
Again, in August, 1871. a new Leg
isla,nre was elected, and it had a ma
iority in both houses,-only three or
tour Republicans being elected in one
house; but these, 1t is said. owed
their election TO womcn's votes.
Here was a fresh grleveance for
Democrats. Such work as that could
no, be borne by them They have
therefore voted to repeal the law.
And now You pronounce the law a
seeming failure" Was the law con
ccived by its friends? Was it in
force among a people a majority OF
whom desired it? Who ever before
thought of declaring any law a fail
ure whose execution and even tolera
ton was not in the hands OF its
friends. Gov. Campbell rightly said,
"Women have made good oflice-hold-
crs, and in the jury room are intelli.
gent, faithful and Efficient And this
m iron. one who was originally
opposed to their exercising thess
rights. an old bachelor, presumably
having TO high regard Tor them as
women.
What reason then does the expert
ment in Wyoming afford Tor de-
claring women's rights failure?