The Republican journal., 1873-02-20
How Woman Suffrage Works

The following letter, written by Judge
Kingman, Associate Justice of the United
States Supreme Court for Wyoming Terri
tory, tells how Woman Suffrage operates
in that territory. where it has been cstab-
lished three years The letter was in re-
ply to a request from the Pennsylvania
Woman Suffrage Association for informa-
ton in regard to the practical effect of
giving woman the ballot:
LARAMIE CITY, WYOMING TERRITORY. ,
Dee. 26, 1872
To the Pennsylvania Woman Suffrage As
soeiation:
1t is now three years since the act was
passed giving women the right of suf-
lrage, and the right to hold office, in this
Territory, in all respects the same as
other electors. Under this law they have
been elected, and appointed to various
offices, and have acted as Jurors and Jus
tices Of the peace. They have 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 of it as u principle, |
think there is no one who will deny that it
has had marked influence in eevatng
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, rs
a matter Of course, alterations generally
! resulted in using them. | do not remenl-
Der single instance where u Jury of men
has convicted either party for shooting at
| each other, even in u crowded room if no
one was killed; or for killing any one. if
| the victim had been armed. But with two
or three women on the jury they have
never failed to follow out the instructions
of the Court
Again the Courts have been nearly
poWerlcSs, with only men for Jurors. in
enforcing the law against drunkenness,
gambling, houses of i'll fame, and de-
bauchery in any of its forms Neither
Grand nor Petit iurics could he relied on :;
but a few women on either pannel changed
the face OF things at once; and from that
day this kind OF vice has trembled before
the law and hidden itself. where formerly
"a
- 9','iNe" ~ ot,' WIN Sh"iiieltSS front
punishment
There are, comparatively, so lew wo-
! men here, and these are so generally kept
at home by domestic duties, that the
Courts have been unable to obtain as many
OF them lor jurors rs was desirable. But
those who have served have uniformly
acquitted themselves with great credit
NOT single verdict, civil or criminal, has
been set aside, where women have COM
posed part OF the Jury.
Ihis has not been the case, by any
means, when they have not been present.
They nave given better attention than the
men have to the progress Of the trials !;
have remembered the evidence better;
nave pald more hrrd TO the charges OF the
court nave beeh Tess influenced by bust
ness relations, and outside considerations :;
business IN the honest discharge OF rcspon-
slplllty. ana nave heard of no instance
where they have incurred any odium, on
lll-wlll 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
more generally appreciatedn consequence
OF IT.
There IS one other influence that has
grown out OF the presence Of women in
IN" court W ON both rs jurors and balitlS,
u .nat Nus oeri' i'oS' apparent ana "ei'olne !
u - lhe quiet oruer ana dtcofinn' the dc
cent ''h' resPecllui peh9Viof' the gfn'I@-
il"nlN pe,lllilS til'iI liaa aiM;iNS peer ~
seiVt" ~ 'nelr presence ne spectators
Go''le iheIe better dressed, chew less TO-
nacco anu spit less SIT more quietly IN
their sen's' walk more carefully on the
MOOR TAX ana Whisper less ana IN All re-
spec!S lhe court room assn umeS j more
ulSillleo thd ouslness-llke ar; and better
progress IS m:tde ID diSp"Slhg OF the mat
ler IN hano'
Ierlalniy the whole elect on our Courts
ana ON our community, resulting from the
participation OF women IN the admlnlStra-
tion OF the laws, has been most beneficial
ana satisfactoryi and it seems to me
pecnhariy proper ihat those VINO suffer
most lrom the COMMISSION OF CRIME and
'he eVils OF vice. should take part IN its
suppression and punishment.
1hefe IS ahother matter IN which we
have been greatly benefited by this law !;
ana that IS the chan@e 1t has wrought on
electlon days, ana us influence on the
polls Formerly our elections were scenes
OF drunken revei and noise; OF fighting
and riot, But when the women came to
vote, they were always treated with the
attention and respect everywhere shown
to women IN the United States If there
was crowd around the polls, they always
gave way when woman approached,
ana were silent and orderly while she de
posted her vote and went away, II men
income intoxicated, they did not remain
mere, where the women could see them.
NO NOISY discussions would arise around
the polls because Invariably when wo-
man came up, all such conversation would
cease Inc TACT has been that very few
people gathered at the polls; and noise