Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1878-12-07
Women as Voters, &C & G.

We publish in Wednesdays Intelli-
gencer a letter from Wyoming Terrific
ry to the St. Louis Republican, giving
some details TO the practical working of
female suffrage in that Territory. AS
is well known, Wyoming is the only
locality III the U. s. where women vote
the same as men. The idea that led TO
its adoption was, first, that Wyoming
being the youngest OF all the States and
Territories, should be progressive, and
second, to throw into politics an ele-
ment to aid in counter-balancing the III
huence OF the ronghs, thieves, cut-thrCats
and highwaymen, who then constituted
a large share of the population.
According to the correspondent OF
the Republican the experiment of invest
ing females with suffrage proved sorry
failure. lie estimates that half the wo-
men in the city of Cheyenne have not
cast ballot since the first or second
election The politics of the Territory
have not been purified by the expert
ment
The corr espondent OF the Republican
is reinforced in his statement by Capt.
S. II. Winsor, of indianapolis, who has
lived several years in Wyoming, and
who has been interviewed on the sub
ject by the Indianapolis Journal lie is
an educated and observant gent, man
and was formerly receiver of the public
land Office at Cheyenne; was resident
of the territory when the woman snff-
rage law took effect and for several
years afterwards The substance of
his views is as follows Uh'eling In
ftMgtncer.
81 regard woman suffrage in Wyo-
ming as an utter failure, and think it is
so regarded by the best men and women
of the territory. SO far as can be dis
covered it has accomplished 10 good
results, while it has certainly worked
badly in many respects For about two
years after the law was passed nearly
all The women in The territory used 10
vote, my wife among the rest. But at-
ter this experience the better class be-
came Disguised with the operation OF
the law and quit voting. AS an instance
of how female citizenship worked in one
case, / remember a jury trial where the
defendant was charged with rape and
murder. The jury consisted of six men
aud six women. After the trial had
progressed about two weeks one of the
women was taken sick. The trial was
postponed several days on her account,
but she was unable TO resume her du-
ties, and new jury was ordered, and a
new trial from the beginning. During
this same trial l knew OF three mechan-
les and hard working men whose wives
were on the jury, and who in conse.
quence of that fact had TO quit work
and stay al home to take care Of their
children. AS an instance of the de.
moralizing influence of politics on wo-
men, ! remember seeing lady, The wife
of candidate for Office, standing at the
counter of beer-saloon drinking beer
with parcel of colored men. / could
mention her name, but will not. She
was from Ohio, and was well educated
and entirely respected, but she was SO
intensely interested in her husband S
success that she resorted to this means
of getting votes for him. / saw this
same lady and school teacher of Chey-
enne in their buggies driving colored
men and women, and even known har-
lots, to aud from the polls. In such
ways as this l regard the operation ot
the law as demoralizing T. the women.
There may be others who differ with
me, but 1 simply give my views OF
several years experience of The law. !
may add that my wife, who enjoyed the
elective franchise during the period OF
my residence in Wyoming, entirely &C.
cords with these views"