The Portland daily press., 1873-02-27
Woman Suffrage In Wyoming.

Woman Suffrage In wyoming.
The following letter written BY Judge
Kingman Of the supreme court of Wyoming
to the Pennsylvania woman suffrage conven-
ton, in reply to letter of inquiry from the
association, cannot fail to interest all those
who, whatever may be their opinions on the
general subject, are watching the very inter-
esting experiment that is being made in that
territory = ..- 81. ,.....
LARAMIE CITY, WYOMING TERRITORY,
December %, 1872.
To the Pennsylvania Woman Suffrage As-
socidtion:
1t is now three years since the act was
passed giving woman the right of suffrage,
and the right to hold Office, in this territory,
in all the respects the same as other electors.
Under this law they have been elected, and
appointed to various offices, and have acted
as Jurors and justices of the peace. They
have very generally voted at all our elections,
and have taken some part in making the
nominations; and although there are some
among us who do not approve>ofi it as a prin-
cip!e, / think there is no one who will deny
that it has marked influence in elevating
our elections, and making them quiet and
orderly; and in enabling the courts to punish
classes of crime where convictions could not
be obtained without their aid.
For instance; when the Territory was first
organized, almost every one carried loaded
revolver on his person; and as a matter Of
course, alterations generally resulted in using
them. / do not remember q single instance
where jury of men has convicted either
party for shooting at each other, even in q
crowded room, ii no one was Killed; or for
killing any one, if the victim had been armed.
But with two or three women on the jury,
LII g ~,
tions of the court. la
Again: the courts have been early power
less, with only men tor jurors, in enforcing
the laws against drunkenness, gambling,
houses of ilL-fame, and debauchery in any
of its forms. Neither grand nor petit juries
could be relied on; but a few women on
either panel changed the face of things at
once; and from that day this kind of vice has
trembled before the law and hidden itself
from sight where formerly it stalked abroad
with shameless front and brazen confidence
in protection from punishment.
There are, comparatively, SO few women
here, and those are so generally Kept at home
by domestic duties, that the courts have been
unable to obtain as many of them for jurors
as was desirable. But those who have served
have uniformly acquitted themselves with
great credit. Not single verdict, civil or
criminal, has been set aside, whe.e women
have composed part of the jury. This has
not been the case, by any means, when they
have not been present. They have given bet
ter attention than the men have to the pro-
gress of the trials; have remembered the evil
dence better; have paid more heed to the
charges of the court; have been less influenc-
ed by business relations, and outside consid-
erations; and have exhibited = keencr con-
scientiousness in the honest discharge of re-
| sponsibiity. And have heard OF no in
stance where they have incurred any odum
! or i'll will, or want of respect, from having
served as jurors. On the contrary, am
| quite sure that in every instance they have
been more highly respected and moro gener-
/ ally appreciated in consequence Of it.
There is one other influence that has grown
| out of the presence of women in the court
room, both as jurors and as baiiffs, that has
| been most apparent aud welcome; it is the
| quiet order and decorum, the decent and re-
! spectful behavior, the gentleinanly bearing
| that has always been observed in their pres
ence. The spectators come there better
| dressed, chew less tobacco and spit less, sit
| more quietly in their seats, walk more care
| fully on the floor, talk and whisper less and
| in all respects the court room assumes more
| dignified and business-ifke air; and better
| progress is made in disposins OF the matter
in hand. s.Dt3
Certainly all the effects in our courts and
our community, resulting from the partici-
patton of women in the administration OF
the laws, have been most beneficial and SAL
isfactory; and it seems to me peculiarly
proper that those who suffer most from the
commission of crime and the evils Of vice /,
should take part in its suppression and pun
| ishment.
There is another matter in which We have
been greatly benefited by this law; and that
| is the change it has wrought on election
| days, and its influence at the polls. Former
| ly our elections were scenes of drunken revel
and noise of fighting and riot. But when the
women came to vote, they were always treat
ed with the attention and respect everywhere
shown to women in the United States. r.
there was crowd around the polls they al
ways gave way when women approached and
were silent and orderly while she deposited
her vote and went away. Ifmen became in
toxicated, they did not remain there where
the women would see them. No noisy dis
cussions would arise aronnd the polls, because
invariably, when woman came up, all such
conversations would cease. The fact has
been that very few people gathered at the
polls; and noise and fighting, riot and drunk
= ennesss have been entirely unknown there.
If men drank too much as they sometimes
did, they remained at the drinking shops,
each political party by itself; and consequent
avoided the quarreis and collisions that so Of
ten occur; while the people went to the polls
and voted as quietly as they go to church.
This of itself has been a gain in cur commu-
nifty of no small moment.
At first there was quite a number of wo-
!. men who refused to vote, but at every cleo
ton that number has grown less, until now
very few, if any, fail to exercise the privilege.
Many refuse to vote az their husbands do,
but have not heard of any domestic discord
or trouble growing out of such course.
Iu conclusion wish to say, as broadly and
as unqualiedly as / can express it, that
: while have seen great many advantages
and much public good grow out of this
change in our laws, have seen none of the
evils or disadvantages SO generally apprehend
ed and so warmly denounced by the oppo
nents of the measure.
Very respectfully,
j. w. KINaMAN,
Associate Justice United States Suprem,
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