Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-02-17
miscellaneous &eadimg.
WYOMING WOMEN.
HOW THEY VOTE IN THE TERRITORY AND
THE MORAL EEEECT.

HON THEY SOIE AMI
THE MORAL EFFECT.
Mrs. L. F. Stevens, of Laramie City, Wy
oming, read a paper before the Female ouf'
frage Association, Friday, giving the result
of her observation of the operation Of equal
suffrage in that Territory. She begins and
closes with arguments for equal suffrage, but
the body of her article is devoted to the sub.
ject as applied to Wyoming and is as follows: !:
For the last six years it has been my for
tune to be citizen and voter of Wyoming
will try to give briefly some account of the
operation of women voting there. When
Wyoming Territory was organized, in the ar.
ticle defining who should be voters, no allu'
sion was made to sex. All citizens 81 years
of age, ninety days resident in the Territory,
were made voters. From that day the wo.
men of Wyoming have had, and, judging
from the use they have made of it, have eD
ioyed the right of voting. They nearly all
vote at every election. At least as large a
percentage Of them as of the men vote So
far they have held but few offices, although
eligible on exactly che same conditions as the
men. They have never made themselves
candidates for party nominations, as | under
stand is usual for raen to do who want office.
They have taken no part in caucuses or con.
ventions, but should they see fit to do so |
have no doubt they would receive all the
Difference due them, and their wishes would
have respectful consideration. Though alb
sent from caucus, their influence is very
strongly felt in the consultation Of both par.
ties. II has come to be known that man
who is intemperate, or immoral, or dishonest,
cannot draw the vote of the women of his
party. There are large number Of women
in each party who will not vote for such men.
In Laramie City, where there were %
saloons, at the election two years ago, every
County official elected WAS strictly temper
arce man, and of irreproachable character.
At the election last Fall the candidates OF
Doth parties were claimed by those who were
personally acquainted with them to be with
one or two exceptions, so far as character and
habits were concerned, all suitable persons
for the Offices for which they we're nominated.
1 am told by those who used to attend
elections in the States that the method OF
canvasses and elections is much better in
Wyoming than where women do not vote.
In the FIRST place, they say there is not near
so much Of personal detraction and abuse OF
candidates, and at the election there is far
better order. Two or three days before elec
tion each party sends to every house in the
precinct several of its tickets and circular
setting forth their claims. The night before
election all saloons are closed and are not
allowed to open until the voting is done.
Excepting the Inspectors and Clerks OF
Election and one challenger for each party
no one is allowed to remain within fifteen
feet of the polls longer than is necessary to
vote. One man of each party stands in the
hall to furnish tickets, but has little to do, as
nearly every one brings their ticket prepared
as they want it. The tickets are printed, or
may be written, on paper furnished by the
County, uniform, for all parties, in shape
color and texture and without Distinguishing
marks. Espionage is not possible. There is
no opportunity for soliciting votes near the
polls. am told by those whose duties kept
them at the polls all day, that, from morning
until night, there was not the slightest breach
of decorum in ct about the court house
This is remarkable when we consider, that be
tween the hours Of nine and five, twelve
hundred and one ballots were deposited in
one box, disposing Of twepty-three offices,
carrying with them annual salaries amount
ing in the aggregate to as many thousand
dollars, and more than thirty candidates
living within ten minutes walk of the polls.
I have never seen anything like rudeness at
the polls, and have never heard any woman
complain of any.
There is less likelihood of woman's en-
countering rude treatment at the polls than
in any other place of PUBLIC assembling. |
know by repeated experiences, that women
are nowhere treated with greater Difference
than where they hold the ballot in their hand.
am told that here in Colorado it is fire
quently asserted that only the lowest and
worst class of women in Wyoming vote. The
worst class can, and I believe generally do
vote. But l wish to assert with all earnest
ness that nearly all women vote, and that
those recognized as the best and leading class
are the most Jealous political workers and
the most unfailing voters.
I presume there are men and woman in the
Territory who are opposed to women's suf
frage, but I have not met them or heard Of
them. There is certainly nothing like par
ty opposed to it. 1t is accepted on all hands
as an accomplished fact, and the people Of
Wyoming are proud of the fact.
Three years ago one man introduced into
the Legislature bill to do away with woman
suffrage, but his motiop received no second,
and he and his measure were promptly
laughed down and out.
Many improvements that may be expected
from women's voting have not yet been ac-
complished or even attempted in Wyoming.
To all Of US taking part in politics is new
thing. Most of US have come to the Territory
within Eve or six years, and are comparative
strangers to each other. Many brought pre-
judices against voting that required time to
overcome. There are probably not one-h half
as many women rs men in the Territory. A
large part of the men are unmarried railroad
employees, stock ranchmen and miners with
out families. We are not in situation to
control or even to make great Innovations
There has been no attempt at concert of ac-
tion as women, and probably it is best there
should be none. Solidifying in that way
would be likely to produce counter solidi
fcation.-Dsnver Tribune.
A MIsER.-Lorc Barco, an ancestor of the
Earl of Fife, was remarkable for practicing
that celebrated rule: Get all you can, and
keep all you can get" One day walking
down the avenue from his house he saw
farthing lying at his feet, which he carefully
cleaned. A beggar passing at the same time
entreated his lordship to give him the farthing,
saying it was not worth noblemans atten-
ton. Fin farthing to yourself, puir body"
replied his lordship, and carefully put the
coin in his breeche- pocket. In addition to
being his own fartl ing finder his lordship was