Litchfield enquirer., 1876-04-20
woman Suffrage In Minnesota

We are indebted to our former towns man, F. c. Webster, for Minnesota papers giving facts and opinions regarding the recent action of woman voters, now allow ed to vote for members of school boards. Says the St. Paul Press:
 It will take but one more election in East Minneapolis to give the women the ma jority of the board of education. After that we imagine the question will be test ed whether or not female teachers per- forming an equal amount of service with their male competitors, are not worth at least half as much money to the schools It appears that every woman who voted yesterday in Minneapolis put in her ballot for the female candidates. These votes in conjunction with the republican minor ity, Overcame the customary democratic majority in the ward, and defeated the tUo excellent and honored democrats, viz: s. H. Chute, and Isaac McNair. If this is the way the old thing is going to work. the democracy, we fear, will not be likely to take kindly to the reform.
 The election of two intelligent and ca pablo women as directors of the board of education of East Minneapolis, is an event to be commended. The best test of the worth of any new system is a practical test. Mrs. Van Cleve and Mrs. Winchell will constitute one-third of the strength of the board. and we shall be disappoint- ed if they do not discharge their duty with as much intelligence as, and @ nicer con- science than their male associates. But, however this may be, the result will dem- onstrate whether or not the inauguration of partial woman suffrage Tn this state warrants the hazard of the full endowment of the sex with the proud privilege per taining to the great American voter.
 The Minneapolis Tribune claims the honor for thas place ot being the first city in Minnesota To vote it's cultivated ladies into office, and thinks that they will>hon- or their position"
 Itgives the following account of the election:
 THE EAST DIVISION AND THE LADIES.
 The same good order which prevailed on the West Side was atso noticeable in the East Division, where a social and po- litical innovation or experiment added interest to the election Here the bands and banners were missing during the ma jor portion of the day, and the proceed ings lacked the surface excitement wit messed on the West Side. People came to the polls quietly, deposited their bal lots. and then went about their. business like sober citizens who have discharged their duty. Separate boxes had been pro- vided for the ladies. and to the credit of their big and brawny brothers be it said, they were everywhere treated with thS highest courtesy and respect. and one would hardly suspect from casual ob- servation, that anything unusual was transpiring in political or social life. In the Fourth, the residence of Mrs. Van Cleve and Mrs. Winchell, the Republican candidates for school directors, Mrs. Van Cleve was the first lady casting her ballot, and came to the polls for that purpose nnaccompanied. She deposited her bal lot, and quietly returned home Nearly all the ladies voting came in groups, from four to six in humber. the men stepping aside until their ballots were placed in the special deposit provided for them, and then the party would leave for home, leaving their brothers somewhat astound- ed that ''woman;s suffrage could be SO oohrteously and effectively demonstrated. Occasionally lady appeared ,alone, but the rule ~as largely in favor of the group Ing programme At one o'clock in the afternoon 69 ladies had cast their ballots in the Fourth Wari, and 62 in the Third.