The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1883-11-23
A Former Resident of Cheyenne Vents His
Spleen.
%Dls1runtIed and Dismal Views of Matters
In Wyoming.
Woman Suffrage a Source Of Corruption
and Bribery.
toe New York Times.

~ o@eAS PSAAkiSd
rights as men for fourteen years. The
questions are often asked: What has
been the result? And, whether for
god or evil. is the result attained in a
territory any criterion for determining
the general effect of woman suffrage If
it were exercised in all parts of the
countryp To the latter question the
reply is that Wyoming shares the OPP
portunities for civilized life common in
America. OF its 80, 200 inhabitants,
10000 live along the line of the Uniou
Pacific railway. 1t has churches aud
common schools in every town. II has
three daily and eight weekly news
papers, bringing its people into luental
contact with the rest of the world.
Cheyenne, the capital and chief city,
has 9 UU0 Inhabitants. It has COM
pactly built business streets, numerous
residences which would be considered
costly and handsome in any city, and
hundreds of the comfortable homes
which In SO many American towns de-
note the presence of an %enterprising
and Intelligent population. 1t has a
handsom ne theater, many hotels, four
banks OF deposit, two daily newspapers,
II complete system of water supply, and
a telephone exchange with 200 sub
scribers. 1t has an electric lighting
system, supplying nearly 200 arc lights,
and 1t was the first place in America to
which the incandescent light was sup
piled. Cheyenne has activity and push,
and is the business center of the terri
tory. Ire attendance of 1853 children
at its public schools testi6es to the
presence and influence of woman and
home. Cheyenne Society" it may be
safely said, brooks no better. 1t is as
rich, travelled, dressy, gossipy, vir-
tuous, and we'll housed as society any
where.
AS to whether woman suffrage has or
has not improved the social and polit-
ical condition of Wyoming very little
a been written. In their messages to
the legislature it has been customary
with the ''tenderfoot" governors to
commend what they believed to be a
popular feature in the policy of the ter
ritory, but the choice of their phrase
ology in referring to the subject usually
left nothing to be desired in the way of
Indebtedness. People opposed to the
liquor traffic find satisfaction in writing
to friends of their political faith in the
east that in the fourteen years during
which women have voted in Wyoming
no liquor dealer has been elected to
office. Successful politicians say: "Men
vote for party; women for personal
merit" The following is given as the
result of a study of the question made
during the past year and a half:
Since the passage of the act granting
suffrage to the women of Wyoming,
December 10, 1850, but two women
have held Office in the territory. Dur
ing three or four years following the
passage of the act which gave women
their ''rights' in Wyoming a few acted
as jurors, bat no woman is ever seen
nowadays in the jury box. The women
Ut Wyoming do not aspire to hold office,
and they stand aloof from the irksome
task of doing jury duty. In fact, they
take no share whatever in the drudgery
of administering the laws, nominating
candidates, formulating platforms, or
making stump speeches. They cleo
tioDeer among their friends when their
male relatives are candidates, but they
perform no other political act save vot.
ing. Their only influence in politics is
felt by the effect of the number Of bal
lots they put in the box. Is there, in
the prospect Of the affairs of state sur
veyed by the intelligent and public
spirited Wyoming woman, nothing
which might invite her to take q hand
at reform by means Of political agita-
ton? To what extent is society affect
ed by the common evils of drink, gam
bling and prostitution? Can woman's
active spirit of humanity find no oppor-
tunity for ameliorating the condition
Of the poor or the unfortunatep Are
there no abuses In politics to reformp
Are the laws without flaw and is their
administration honestp II woman
were to combine with her virtuous and
patriotic sisters could she not possibly
carry out in some direction at least a
mild and properly conducted reform?
Starting it, say, with a caucus held
with her friends after the plan of a
church sociable, and having its pur-
pose approved at a mass-meetlng no
more public than a church fair? Let
Cheyenne be selected az a field for pos
sible reform. 1t is the oldest, largest,
most advanced city in Wyoming.
Cheyenne has to-day, its chief of po-
lice estimates, more than thirty houses
of prostitution, and the proprietors of
a number of them hold licenses from
the county to sell liquor. 1t has forty
places where liquor is sold by license;
it has six licensed faro banks and three
keno rooms, gambling in them being
carried ON as openly as sugar-selling at
the grocery store. The newspapers ad.
vertise the gambling houses; Keno
every night" is a sign painted on show
windows; the passer-by on the high
street can hear the numbers in a keno
game called out loudly by a man in the
gambling den, who is licensed aud pro-
tected in his iniquity blythe law. Many
of the bar rooms Of the city are fur