Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-02-17

HCClo On tIC tdblC, dhu Y uio "Ai'S0Ai"
and expeetorating the judge put hi
legs and feet under the bench where
they belonged, instead Of on top of it
the attendants and spectators came
better dressed; the room was KEPT
neat and clean.
Since leaving the bench he had
practiced at the bar, and unqualifedly
would prefer, both as judge and advo
cate, to have mixed jury, and he be-
lieved that the prevailing opinion
among all classes.
To show the good effect of women's
vote Judge Kingman instanced recent
municips3 election in Laramie City,
where the best men of both parties had
united In the nomination of a "Peo-
ple's ticket The saloon-keepers,
knowing that the Sunday law against
the sale of liquor would be rigidly en-
forced if this ticket was elected, got
ont another ticket the night before
election, sent out runners to meet the
floating population coming in from the
mines, gave free liquor and lunches,
and rolled up very large vote. Find
ing themselves in danger of defeat,
the ''law and ORDER party sent to every
house to notify the ladies how the case
stood, and in the afternoon the Women
turned out and worked against the sa-
looms; among them many of the
wives of the saloon-keepers and candi-
dates, and they elected the temperance
ticket by a handsome majority. Without
the women the reformers would have
been beaten two to one.
l do not believe that Suffrage causes
women to neglect their domestic af-
fairs. Certainly such has not been
the case in Wyoming; and [ never
heard man complain that his wife
was less interested in domestic economy
because she had the right and took an
interest in making the community re-
spectacle. In the election referred to,
the wife Of the keeper of billiard sa-
loon notified her husband that she
should do her best to defeat him, and
did so. But so far from quarreling
with her he said that she was ''per-
fectly right" and expressed his opin-
ion that his wife was "the better man
of the two.''
Judge, kingman related several in
stances of the conversion Of the pub
lie men of the Territory to the cause,
and the way in which they had come
to regard it as one of the settled prin-
ciples of the policy of the Territory.
The general influence of Woman Suff-
rage had been to elevate the tone of
society and to secure the election Of
better men to office.
Judge Kingman thought their ex-
perience refutes the objection that wo-
men would unsex themselves. The
effect of the exercise Of political rights
upon the women themselves, of course
cannot yet be fully apparent. But I
think | see already marked change
in our women, and it is a change for
the better. The women are not less
womanly nor in the slightest degree
less feminine in their conduct. But
they appear more earnest, more serious
less devoted to fashion and frivolous
pursuits. [ have never known or
heard of case of domestic unhappi-
ness caused by political differences, al
though [ have known Of many instan-
ces where husband and wife worked
for different tickets. Men were not
less respectful toward women, but usu-
ally more so than in other sections.
There is class of men who feel bound
to be respectful toward women if they
ever expect to be candidates for office.
The female voters are nearly equal to
the male in the large towns where l.
200 or 1900 votes are cast. The
Sweed and German women nearly all
vote. but the native Americans predom-
mate. At first only a few women
voted but at the last two elections they
had voted almost unanimously, and
more uniformly than the men. He
believed the women had as full
knowledge Of the public measures
pending as the men, and often they
were more fully informed than the
men.
He thought they got higher and
better public sentiment by the politi-
cal representation Of women. Judg-
ing from his experience he did not
know of any objections to Woman
Suffrage, and he believed it would be
the safest course to pursue to give
Woman the right.
He did not think that Suffrage
would ever be given up by the peo-
pie of Wyoming, for it had commended
itself to the good judgement of all
their citizens. His attention was cal
led to Utah. and he expressed the OPP
pinion that the women of that Terri
tory had no adequate political express
sion. Woman Suffrage in that Terri
tory was only mockery, and the
women were simply used as the cat
paw of priesthood. He did not be-
lieve the Catholic women in the States
could be so completely controlled bv the