Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-08-13
Ratmtt
at. JoHNsBURY, AUGUST Is, 1875.
Woman Suffrage.


The woman sufFragists, 1t must be admitted,
gain ground every year. They have just
manifested strength in the Connecticut
legislature which probably astonished nobody
more than it did themselves, and II cannot
be many years, at the present rate of pro-
Qress, before woman shall be admitted at the
polls right here in puritan New England.
Within year or two the public have been
surprised by seeing women elected TO local
Offices, such as school commissioners, justices
of the peace, &c, in Maine, New Hampshire,
Vermont, Massachusetts,, New York and
other states. Much doubt is expressed as to
the advisabilty of allowing women to vote 10
elections. and one of the strongest arguments
aeaints il is that "thewomen themselves do not
want to vote" which is strictly true Of the
large majority Of them. But give them the
power, aud each year would see an increased
number of them taking an interest in politics.
And we must confess we believe the country
would be the better for it. "Womau's
sphere" and with il womau's capabilities, are
being broadened and elevated, until, instead
of the ignorant dollhouse drawing.roOm or
nament, which used to be the ideal position
to be attained by woman century or two
ago, our ideal woman of to-day has the same
powers, the same mental development, and in
some directions the same fields of conquest
before her which lie open before the young
man. Why not in all directions ?
The experiment Of woman suffrage is not
without practical demonstration, and the ex-
pertinent has proved a success. The follow
ing, from the Laramie Sentinel tells how it
works in Wyoming, where it is in practical
operation.
To us the novelty has worn of, and we
have had time to cooly estimate the results.
There are those here who can remember the
condition Of things here, six or seven years
ago, and can compare them with the present,
and though we might differ somewhat as to
the causes which produced this change for
the better. yet we shall be able to agree upon
few facts. We never had a term Of court
here, held in decent and comfortable place,
with its proceedings marked throughout by
decency and decorum, and Invested Of every
thing pertaining to levity and blackguardism,
till our ladies were summoned to attend aud
participate 10 it. We never had grand
jury here who boldly and unAinchingly took
hold to investigate offenses against decency
and morality, and hunt out and bring OF.
Tenders TO punishment till we had grand
jury composed largely of ladies. We had
had several terms Of court, but had scarcely
been able to convict or punish single
criminal for any crime, however heinous
through the medium Of thosI courts, till w
got juries composed largely Of women. We
did not have a single election here without
drunkenness, rowdyism, quarreling, fighting
and bloodshed, until our wives, mothers, sis
ters and daughters were permitted to accom-
pany us to the polls. We well remembe
the time when many man stayed away
from the polls, losing his right Of citizenship
rather than encounter the danger and rowdy
ism he must meet in order to exercise il
But all this is changed. Our elections g
of as quietly as any other social gathering
no matter how heated political campaig
may be, or how important the issues at stake
And We all point with pride to the result
whether or not we agree as to the caus
which has produced it, Laramie Sentinel.