News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-11-23
WOMAN SUFFRAGE.
Practical Results OF the Experiment in Wy
Oming Territory.

Ex-Gov. Hoyt of Wyoming Territory,
spoke recently in Omaha, Neb., and gave
the results of his observation of woman
suffrage at home. In closing he said:
"When L went to Wyoming was in
doubt as to the present ezpediency Of
woman suffrage of the right of the mat
| ter I felt no doubt. went there a skep-
| tic, sufficiently anxious to give earnest
| and careful attention to all the points of
| its operation. Soon after my arrival
there was a general election, and now,
after four and half years of constant
observations, embracing every point LII
the Territory, [ believe that, so far from
being of doubtful advantage, womanhood
suffrage is positive and great advantage
to all concerned, man as well as woman.
There cannot be raised one single valid
objection drawn from its workings there.
The women themselves have not suffered
from contact with politics they have not
been transformed into masculine beings,
but they are the same modest, decent be-
ings they were before And why not
The simple act of voting once in a year or
two-why should that fifteen minutes
work masculinize woman who has re-
ceived her femininity from God? As L
see it there, the woman goes home from
the polls with a sense of duty per-
formed. standing on her own footing
and speaking for herself in the face of the
world and of God. Every man apprecl-
ates what that consciousness and that
sentiment is !; we concede to a man who
has the ballot dignity which we deny
the slave. The discussions of public
questions between husband and wife tends
to mutual respect, and to the respect of
the family for both -sslilza The husband
is proud of the woman, as fellow-citizen
who is his wife, Nor has woman in Wy
oming been contaminated by her associ-
ations at the polls, while the conduct of
men at the polls has been visibly improved. |
He would not deny what may have been
asserted concerning its workings years
ago, when four-ffths of the population |
were males, and four-fifths of the men |
were of the rougher class. But from |
1873 [ have witnessed an orderliness, a |
propriety, a forbearance, on the part of |
male voters there such as I have never |
seen elsewhere-not even in staid old |
Massachusetts, have visited every |
State in the Union save one. Gov. Hoyt |
proceeded to relate his observations dur
ing the first day that he attended an cleo
ton in Wyoming He went early, and |
after casting his vote, he remained all |
day to watch the proceedings. There
was, as elsewhere, much brisk discussion
of questions and of candidates among
men, but the moment lady came to
vote there was hush, q respectful def
erence, and a parting of the ranks,
and the Observation-Disclosures took
off his hat and saluted the fair
citizen as she came and as
she went. So far as Gov. Hoyt knew
votes had not proved purchase
able; and he proceeded to argue why
they should not be so, on iuries. as a
prominent citizen, who had often acted |
as foreman, said, they pay attention to
their oaths' {: they are more than ordi-
nary conscientious of action, and they
show more than ordinary independence
Of action in matters political and civil.
Man is, id Wyoming as elsewhere. the
'ffice-seeker; the suffrage has not made
he woman such, and as a rule she votes
he ticket bearing the names that promise
The best service to the community. The
influence of female suffrage on questions
If morality in Wyoming is just about as
you would naturally expect so far as it
las been put forth. The women are
on the side of justice, morality
md the public welfare, and seek to pro- !
note uFsisAtpess ..--ta--re-,s-i+y in men in
he public service. This gives us great
to put forward good men | ,
instead of bad ones for candidates. 7 c
AVE never heard a citizen of Wyoming j.,
Express a desire that the ballot should be 7
withdrawn from women there; [ have f
ever heard a regret uttered that it has
'een given-in one word, L have never
Ieard the question raised of abolishing
t woman suffrage is considered as es- i
once for all. The question of I,
suffrage is just as much set
led as is that of manhood suffrage :
Perhaps the highest good has not been +
ccomplished, but there has been much t
God and no evil "