The new North-west., 1884-03-07
J. 49, DEER LODGE MONTANA, MARCH Z 1884
Petticoats at the Polls.
Bill Nye.


There hike been many reasons given first
and last why women should not vote, but
desire TO say, in the full light of ripe expe'
rience, thai some of them are fallacious.
refer moro particularly TO the argument that
it will degrade women to 60 to the polls and
| vote like aslittle man. While ! am not and
| have never been q bowler for female suf-
frage, must admit that 1t is much more OF
a success than prohibition and speculative
science.
My wife voted eight years with my full
knowledge and consent, and to-day cannot
see but tAst she is as docile and as tractable
as when she won my trusting heart. Now
those who know me best will admit that l
am not ladies' man, and therefore what l
may say here Is not said to secure favor and
grateful smiles. / am not attractive and l
am not in politics. L believe that l am
homeler this winter than usual. There are
reasons why believe that what may say
on this subject will be sincere and not sem
sational 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 tar
nished good deal 60 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 bet
ter 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 d.hot, and the tocsin of war sounds
anon, the wife and mother puts on her armor
and her seaiskin sacque and knocks things
cross eyed.
It Is generally supposed that the female
voter is a pautaloonatic, a halfhorse, 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 partially in
her own garments and partially in her hus-
bands. This is a popular error. In Wyo-
ming, where female suffrage has ragged for
years, you meet quiet, courteous and gallant
gentlemen, and fair, quiet, sensible women
at the polls, where there isn't a loud or pro-
fame word, and where II is an infinitely more
proper place to send young lady unescorted
than to the postoflice in any city in the I'm
ion. You can readily see why this is so.
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 a voter. The man
who on Wednesday would tell her 10 60 and
soak her head, perhaps, would stand bare
headed to let her pass on Tuesday. While
she holds o smashed ballot showed under the
palm of her gray kid glove, she may walk
over the candidates PROSTATE form with i'm
pubity and her overshoes If she chooses TO.
Weeks anu months before election in Wy
omiug the party with the longest purse sub
sidizes the most livery stables and carriages.
Then on the eveutful day every conveyance
available Is decorated with a political pla-
card 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 tn walk to the polls, and they
go in pairs, trios and quartettes, voting their
little sentiments aud calmly returning to
their cookies and crazy quilts as though
politics didn't jar their mental poise a
minute.
It is possible, and even probable, that a
man and his wife may disagree on politics as
they might on religion. The husband may
believe in Andrew Jackson and a relentless
hell, while his wife may be stalwart and
rather liberal on the question Of eternal
punishment. If the husband manages his
wife as he wo"ld a clothes-wringer, and
turns her through life by crank, he will
no doubt work her politically; but If she has
her own ideas about things she will natur-
ally act on them, while the man who Is hen
pecked In other matters till he can't see out
of his eyes, will be henpecked, no doubt, in
the mater of national and local politics.
These are a few facts about the actual
workings Of female suffrage, and do not
tackle the great question of the ultimate re-
suits upon the political machinery If woman
suffrage were to become general. do not
pretend to say as to that l 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 mil.
lions OF alleged men who do vote; but no
one can tell now what the ultimate effect of
a change might be. So far as Wyoming is
concerned, the Territory is prosperous and
happy. I see, also, that murderer was
hung by process of law there the other day.
That looks like the onward march of reform,
whether female suffrage had anything to do
with 1t or not. And they're going to hang
another In March If the weather is favorable
and Executive clemency remains dormant,
as think 1t will. All these things look
hopeful. We can't tell what the Territory
would have been without female suffrage,
but when they begin to hang men by law
instead of by moonlight, 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