The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1880-04-14
Miss Louisa AIcott as a Voter.

From Her Letter in the Woman's Journal
Our town meetings, am told, are always
orderly and decent; this one certainly was;
and we found il very like a lyceum lecture,
only rather more tedious than most, except
when gentlemen disagreed and enlivened
the scene with occasional lapses into bsd
temper or manners, which amused but did
not dismay the women-folk, while il initi-
a'ed them into the forms and courtesies of
parliamentary debate.
Mr.. Alcott, with fatherly desire to make
the new step as easy as possible for us, pri-
vstely asked the moderator when the women
we're to vote, and on being told that they
could take their chance with the men, or
come later, propose that they should come
first as a proper token of respect and for the
credit of the town. One of the selectmen
said, by all MEANS" aud proved himself
tower OF strength by secondiDg the philoso.
pher on this momentous occasion.
The moderator Who is also the registrar,
and has most kindly and faithfully done his
duty to the women il spite of his own diff
ference of opiniou) then announced that the
ladies would prepare their votes and depo 1t
them before the men did No one objected
we were ready, and hled out in good order,
dropping our votes and passing back to our
seats as quickly and quietly as possible
while the assembled gentlemen watched us
in sols mn silence.
No bolt felt on our sudscious heads, no
earthquake shook the town, bat a pleasing
| surprise created a general outbreak of
laughter and applause, for scarcely were we
seated when Judge Hog rose and proposed
| that the polls be closed The motion was
carried before the laugh subsidized, and the
| polls were closed without mans voting; a
perfectly fair proceeding We thought, since
we were allowed no voice on any other ques-
| ton.
The superintendent of schools expressed a
| hope that the whole town would vote but
was gracefully Informed that IL made no dit
| ference as the women had all voted as the
| men would.
| Not quite a correct statement, by the way,
as many men would PROBABLY have voted
| for other candidates, as tickets were prepared,
aud some persons looked disturbed at being
| deprive of their rights 1t was too late, how
ever, for the joke became sober earnest, and
the women elected the school committee for
the coming year, feeling satisfied. with one
/ or two exceptions, that they had secured
| persons whose past services proved their TT
/ ness for the office.
At the house wives retired to get tea for
the exhausted gentlemen, some of whom
certainly looked as II they would need re-
| freehments OF some sort after their labors.
| 1t was curious to observe as the women went
out hoE the faces wnich had regarded them
| with disspprovsl, derision or doubt when
| they went 10, nov smiled affably, while sew
eral men hoped the ladies would come again,
and asked how they liked 1t, and assured
them that there had not been so orderly q
meeting for years.
0oe of the pleasant sights to my eyes was
flock OF schoolboys watching with great
interest their mothers, sunts and SISTERS, who
were showing them how to vote when then
own emancipation day came. Another was
the spectacle of women sitting beside theii
husbands, who greatly enjoyed the affair
and had their doubts about the suffrage
question. a--7f
Among the new voters were descendant
of Msjor Buttrick. OF Concord fight renown
two Of Hancock and Quincy, aud other
whose grandfathers or great grandfather
had been among the first settlers OF tn,
i town.