The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1884-03-27
WOMEN AT THE POLLS.
by BILL NYx.

There have been many reasons given
first and last why women should not
vote, but desire to say, in the full
light of ripe experience, that some OF
them are faHacious. refer more par
ticularly to the argument that it will
degrade women to go to the polls and
vote like little man. While l am not
and never have been bowler for female
suffrage, must admit that it is much
more of success than prohibition and
speculative science.
My wife voted eight years with my
full knowledge and consent. and to-day
I cannot see but that she is as docils
and as tractabie as when she won my
trusting heart Now those who know
me best will admit that am not Ia
dies man, and therefore what may say
here is not said to secure favor and
grateful smiles. am not attractive and
am not in politics. l believe that am
homlier this winter than usual. There
are reasons why believe that what i
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 opportu-
nifty, and that only those whose social
record has been furnished good deal
go to the polls. This is not true.
1t is the truth that good full vote
always shows list of the best women
and the wives of the best men. A
bright day makes better showing OF
bad voters than bad one. and the
weather makes a more perceptible diff
ference 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 fe-
male voter is a pantaloonatic, hah
horse. half alligator kind OF woman,
who looks like DIR. Mary Walker and
has the appearance of one who has risen
hastily in the night at the alarm Of fire
and dressed herself partially in her
own garments and partially in
her husbands. This is pop
ular error. In Wyoming. where
female suffrage has ragged for years, you
meet quiet, courteous, and gallant gen.
tlemen, and fair, quiet, sensible women
at the polls, where there isn't loud
or profane word, and where it is an in
initely more proper place to send q
young lady unescorted than to the post
Office in any city in the Union. You
can readily see why this is 30. The
men about the polls are always candi-
dates and their friends. That is the
reason that neither party can afford to
show the slightest rudeness toward o
voter. The man who on Wednesday
would tell her to go 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 PROSTATE
form with impunity and her overshoes,
if she chooses to.
Weeks and months before election in
Wyoming the party with the longest
and carriages. Then on the eventful
day every conveyance available is dec
grated with political placard and
driven by polite young man who is
instructed to improve the time. Thus
svery 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
quartets, voting their little senti-
mepts, and calmly returning to their
cookies and crazy quilts, as though
politics didn't jar their mental poise q
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 in Andrew
Jackson and relentless hell, while his
wife may be stalwart and rather lib
eral ON the question of eternal punish
ment If the husband manages his wife
az he would clothes-wringer, and
turns her through life by a crank, he
will no doubt work her politically, but
if she has her own ideas about things
she will naturally act on them; while
the man who is henpecked in other
respects till he can't see out OF his eyes
will be henpecked in the matter of ma
tional and local politics.
These are few facts about the actu
al workings of female suffrage, and
do not tackle the great question of the
ultimate results upon the political ma,
chinery if woman suffrage were to be.
come general. do not pretend to say
as to that. / know great deal, but
| do not know that There are millions
of women, no doubt, who are better
qualified to vote and yet cannot than
millions of alleged men who do vote
but no one can tell now what the ulti'
mate effect of change might be. Sc