The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-09-04
WOMAN SUFFRAGE IN WYOMING.
BY REV. Il. ]. PIERCE.

frage by the first Wyoming Legislature
as Joke. Two or three wise heads IA
voring the idea presented the proposal,
not as a matter of right, but Of notoriety,
inducing the Legislature to grant it rs
an advertisement. 1t was confidently ex-
pected by many that the privilege would
never be accepted.
At the same session, the right TO sit
on the jury was also ceded, although a
conflicting sentence in another part Of
the code has withdrawn the women
from the jury since the second year.
When the first jury was drawn at Lar
annie, four, at least, of the five ladies'
drawn were intelligent, earnest Chris
tian women who, when the judge in
formed them of his willingness TO eX-
cuse any not wishing to serve, surprised
all and shocked not a few by answering,
1--WE all propose to serve" Their term
Of office may fifty be called "the reign
of terror for evil doers." Finding a
dead Sunday law on the statute books,
they revived it, shut up every saloon
and place Of business on Sunday, fined
several for breaking over, and admins
tered justice, as Judge Howe afterward
testified, in rs able and judicious man
ner as any jury he ever addressed. lam
not acquainted with the results of the
first female jury in Cheyenne, but in
Laramie, owing to the strong principle
and intelligence Of the women, aided
by a faithful grand jury, it reformed
the city, giving it reign of quiet never
since attained. This was in the spring
of 1870.
On the following September the first
election was held under the law, and
for several days the women were quietly
discussing the propriety of voting. Two
candidates for Delegate to Congress were
before the people, besides several county
officers. The one, a promising judge in
the Territory, was the favorite of the
moral, Order-lOving citizens the other,
a frequenter of saloons, man of wealth,
[ but lately removed to Colorado, was re-
/ lying on the lower element for support.
| 1t was rumored that the latter had given
/ instructions to keep back all his femi-
nine supporters till nearly night, and
| thus, at the last moment, cut oil the
I hope Of the other party. An old grand
ma in Laramie, seventy-iive years old
/ by the name Of Swain, beloved by all
7 rose early on election day and declared
I her influence should be used to over.
come such a fraud, and accordingly,
/ knowing that example is better than
/ precept, voted the first ticket after the
opening of the polls, and unconsciously
! won the credit of being the first female
voter in the United States i'm modern
days. Women rallied their friends
many voted who, though conscientious
/ ly opposed TO the ballot, felt that this
was their only hope, and about T.. ".
our liquor friend was heard to remark,
/ 'These women are raising the devil
with usr' The next morning the sepa-
rated count proved that 'comdn deJcdtcd
fraud and Chisky.
This was the first election. Women
had voted, and that independently,
often scratching their husbands tickets,
but never, rs l heard, quarreling with
them about it. / never saw = more
quiet day. Men accustomed to curse
and swear knew too well the danger tC
their party to behave unseemly; and tC
this day, no woman has been insultet
Mt the polls Of Wyoming, or has wit
messed scenes one-half so degrading a:
the sight Of a drunken man reeling
across her path in the street.
The talk about neglecting household:
is purely nonsense. Any man with {
particle of decency would 50 arrange a:
to allow his wife to call occasionally
What if she spent half an hour in vot
ing? Happily for Wyoming, the womer
who have led have been the best wivet
and best house-kcepers. Yet the agita
tors Of Woman's Rights are unpopular
there, and in no place is there less sale
about rights.
Last year the expected opposition t.
Woman Suffrage appeared in shape
They were voted out of both Independ
ent and Republican caucuses, though
properly included in the call for voters
They then held Woman's Convention
. and selected two women and three mel
as their ticket for the Legislature. Thes'
men we're selected from the other tickets
in hope OF securing temperance ticket
: But band was organized against then
and two hundred men signed pledg'
TO vote for no man who allowed hi
name to be used on wOman's ticket
The men, fearful of defeat, consulte,
with their party. Two resigned thei
places OH the womcn's ticket, and ON
stood firm and was defeated.
T Woman Suffrage is no panacea for al
ills. but if accompanied with proper in
telligence, and an earnest Christian an,
moral purpose, it cannot fail to add al
) important moral element to the fran
: chise. Its practical workings have beel
.. good where properly managed but il
/ Evanston it has been damage, becaus
, GOOD women would not vote and CAV
; their enemies the balance of power.
Woman's naturally superior mora
! character will purify the cesspool, and
do not believe it would seriously tarnisl
her robe. But woe to that State or Ter
ritory which introduces universal sui
/. frage in advance Of general intelligeuc
; aud n firm moral sentiment 1t merel,
: multiplies the evil without furnishing
possible remedy.