Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1884-04-24
WOMAN SUFFRAGE.
Bill Nye Gives His Reasons For Up.
holding il.
Puck.

Bill Nye Gives His Reasons For Up.
holding it.
Puck.
There have been many reasons given
first and last why women should not vote,
but desire to say in the full light of a
ripe experience that some of them are
fallacious. l refer more particularly to the
argument that it will degrade women to 90
to the polls and vote like little man.
While / am not and never have been a
howler for female suffrage, must admit
that it is much more of success than pro-
hibition and speculative science.
My wife voted eight years, with my full
knowledge and consent and to-day l can
not see but that she is as dOcile and as
tractable as when she won my trusting
heart. Now those who know me best will
admit that am not ladies' man, and,
therefore, what l may say here is not to
secure favor and grateful smiles. am not
attractive and am not in politics. l be-
lieve that am homlier this season than
usual. There are reasons why believe
that what may say ON this subject will
be sincere and not sensational or selfish.
1t has been urged that good women do
not generally exercise the right of suffrage
when they have the opportunity, and that
only those whose social record has been
tarnished good deal 60 to the polls This
is not true.
1t is truth that good, full vote always
shows a list of of the test women and the
wives Of the best men. A bright day
makes a better showing of lady voters
than bad one, and the weather makes
more perceptible difference in the female
vote than the male, but when things are
exciting and the battle is red hot, and the
tOcsin Of war sounds anon, the wife and
mother puts on her armor and her sealskin
sacque and knocks things cross-eyed.
1t is generally supposed that the female
voter is pantaloonatic, half-horse, half
alligator kind of woman, who looks like
DR.. Mary Walker, and has the appearance
of one who has risen hastily in the night
at the alarm of fire and dressed herself par
TALLY in her own garments and partially
in her husbands. This is a popular error.
In Wyoming, where female suffrage has
ragged for years, you meet quiet, courteous
and gallant gentlemen, and fair, quiet SEN
sible women at the polls, where there isn't
a loud or profane word, and where it is an
infinitely more proper place to send
young lady unescorted than to the post
Office in any city in the Union. You can
readily see why this is so. The men about
the polls are always candidates and their
friends. That is the reason that neither
party can afford to show the slightest rude
ness toward voter. The man who on
Wednesday would tell her to 60 and soak
her head, perhaps, would stand bareheaded
to let her pass on Tuesday. While she
holds smashed ballot showed under the
palm of her gray, kid glove she may walk
over the candidates prostrate form with
impunity and her overshoes, if she wants to-
Weeks and months before election in
Wyoming the party with the longest purse
subsidies the most livery stable and car
riOges Then on the eventful day every
conveyance available is decorated with a
political plaoard and driven by polite
young man, who is instructed to improve
the time. Thus every woman in Wyoming
has chance to ride once year at least.
Lately, however, many prefer to walk to
the polls, and they go in pairs, trios and
quartettes, voting their little sentiments
and calmly returning to their cookies and
crazy quilts as though politics didn't jar
their mental poise minute.
1t is possible and even probable that
man and his wife may disagree on politics
as they might on religion. The husband
may believe on Andrew Jackson and re-
lentless hell, while his wife may be stall
wart and rather liberal on the question of
eternal punishment. If the husband man
ages his wife as he would clothes-wrin-
ger, and turns her through life by crank,
he will no doubt work her politically, but
if she has her own ideas about things she
l1y xUhi1o ho
who is henpecked in other matters will be
henpecked, no doubt, in the matter of local
and national politics.
These are a few facts about the actual
workings of femal suffrage, and | do not
tackle the great question of the ultimate
results upon the political machinery if
woman suffrage were to become general. l
90 not pretend to say as to that. l know
great deal, but l do not know that.
1nee are millions of women, no doubt,
VINO are better qualified to vote and yet
cannd, than millions of alleged men who
90 vote; but no one can tell now what the |
ultimate effect of change might be. So
far as Wyoming is concerned the Territory
is pro'perons and happy. see, also, that !
murderer We hung by process of law
there ne otner aay That looks like the |
had any thing to do with it on not And
they ae going to hang another Soon e the tho
weather is favorable and executive elem.
ency remains dormant, as 1 think it will. |
All these things look hopeful. We can't |
tell what the Territory would have been
without female suffrage, but when they
beginto hang men by law instead of moon
light the future begins to brighten up.
When you have to get up in the night to
hang man every little while and don't
get any per diem for it, you feel as though
Won were a GOOD Way from home.