The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-06-26
Women as Political Workers.

The election in Oakland on Saturday
May 3oth, wssi in some respects, ar
astonishnent both to the friends anl
opponents OF local option. Every new
thing that is tried works differently in
some ways from what had been expected
by those who had reasoned about it be.
forehaud. The latest innovation.
namely, the appearance of woman in
the political arena, as "wOrker" at the
polls on election day, has proved no ex-
ception to this rule. The No-license
people expected that their cause would
be much helped by the efforts of the
women, but they did not anticipate the
cool efficiency and thoroughly practical
spirit which they brought TO the work.
The expectation was that they would be
emotional, and that their most potent
weapons would be ''smiles, tears and en-
treaties" The License people conf
IDENTIFY hoped that there would be sufli-
cient extravaganza in their mode of
making their fight to provoke ridicule
and prevent them from exercising any
real influence. Both sides proved ut
terlv mistaken i'm this. The women
came upon the scene as if they belonged
there and were quite used to it. They
conducted themselves with tact and
perfect decOrum. There was 10 ha-
ranguing, no scolding, no symptoms OF
hvsterical excitement. Neither was
there ANYTHING that looked like an at
tempt TO gain votes by smiles and
establishments, as had been predicted
They engaged in conversation with
voters who seemed willing to discuss
the issue with them, and argued their
case calmly and in a very moderate and
sensible manner. Another thing,
scarcely to have been anticipated, was
that they almost invariably assumed
such a tone rs led TO serious discussion,
and discouraged both levity and undue
combativeness. AS n general thing,
they did not undertake to be witty, and
entered into no war of words, but said
what they had to say with a certain
mild gravity that was far more effective
than the most brilliant wit. If in their
general line OF reasoning they were not
strictly logical-if they did not discrim-
mate very clearly between the temper
ance question generally, and the ques-
ton rs to the efficiency of the various
forms of prohibitory or restrictive legis-
lation-they nevertheless talked with
sufficient point and feeling TO enable
them to influence many votes, including
some, perhaps, which were cast by inn
lItSSiDlt men VI luAl tistSS Oh IllllN IN
which no clear conception is recognized
between being convinced and being per-
suaded. The women were thoroughly
and sincerely convinced that they were
right; and sincerity is great power in
argument. II is conceded on all hands
that the triumph of the NO-license
ticket was due to their exertions. Had
the election been left to the usual infiu-
ences, the probability is that the friends
Of license would have succeeded, foI
they were all organized, and went tC
the polls full of confidence. Another
circumstance i'm favor OF the women was
that in this election there was no room
for the feeling which makes feminine
Interference in political questions seem
meddlesOme. This was no political
question, but an issue affecting women
most nearly and vitally. Those who
consider that "politics isn't women's 5
business. ~ eould not very well tell them
that they had no business with such
question rs this.-&. T. Chronicle.