The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1883-02-22
The Advantages of Woman Suffrage.

Following are extracts from the mes
sages of the governors of Wyoming to
the several Legislatures. They give the
opinions of the executives on the i'm
portant subject of woman suffrage.
The following paragraph is taken from
the message of Gov j. A. Campbell to
the legislative assembly of 1874:
There is upon our statute book can
act granting to the women of Wyoming
Territory the right of suffrage and to
hold office" which has now been in
force two years. Under it's liberal pro-
visions women have voted in the terri
tory, served on juries, and held Office.
IT is simple justice to say that the women
entering for the first time in the history
of the country, upon those new and un-
tried duties have conduced themselves
in every respect with as much tact,
sound judgement and good sense as a
man. While it would be claiming more
more than the facts justify to say that
this experiment, in limited field, has
demonstrated beyond doubt the per-
feet fitness Of women, at all times and
under all circumstances, for taking a
part in the government, it furnishes at
least reasonable presumptive evidence in
her favor, and she has right to claim
that so long rs none but good results are
manifest, the law should remain unre.
pealed.
Governor Campbell referred to the
same subject in 1873 in the following
language:
The experiment of granting to women
a voice in the Government, which was
inaugurated, for the first time in the his
tory of our country, by the first Legisla-
tive Assembly of Wyoming, has now
been tried for four years. | have, here
tofore taken occasion to express my views
in regard to the wisdom and justice of
this measure and my conviction, that it's
adoption had been attended only by
good results. Two years more of OBJ
servation OF the practical working of the
system have only served to deepen my
conviction that what we, in this Terri
tory, have done, has been we'll done, and
that our system of impartial suffrage is
an unqualified success.
In 1875 Governor John W. Thayer's
message commented on the question as
follows:
Woman suffrage has now been in prac-
tical operation in our Territory for six
years, and has, during the time, in
creased in popularity and in the conf
dence of the people. In my judgment
its results have been beneficial, and its
influence favorable to the best interests
of the community. A right or privilege
once granted is not not easily surren-
dered In this case it is difficult to
perceive any good reason why it should
be.
Gov. Hoyts message of 1882 has the
following:
Woman suffrage, although resting on
equity, supported by reason and con-
firmed by experience. has hitherto
gained but partial acceptance as a princi-
pie of political philosophy. It com
mands more and more of public attention
in many portions of our own land and in
other countries whose political institu-
tions look toward freedom of the people.
But to-day the new Territory of Wyom-
ing is the only spot on the earth where
the political privileges of women are
equal and identical with those of men. 1t
was a bold and gallant stroke on the side
OF reason and OF justice long delayed,
that act OF our first Legislative Assem-
bly,; and what wonder that the eyes Of
the world have been turned on Wyoming
ever since.
Elsewhere, directors persist in call
ing this honorable statute Of ours an ex
pertinent. We know it is not--that
under it we have better laws. better
officers. better conditions. better morals
and higher social condition than could
otherwise exist-that not one of the pre-
dicted evils. such rs loss of native deli
cacy and disturbance of home relations.
has followed in its train-that the great
body of our women, and the best of
them, have accepted the elective fran
chise as precious boon and exercise it
as patriotic duty-in a word that, after
twelve years of happy experience, wo-
man suffrage is so thoroughly rooted in
the minds aud hearts of this people that
among them all no voice is ever uplifted
in protest against or in question OF it.
For these reasons, also, there rests on us
the obligation to so guard and elevate
the social order as to make Wyoming an
frightening star for the guidance of
this new and grand movement in the in
terest of human freedom. Laramie
Boomerang.