Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1885-07-17
4 Lesson Of the Hour.

i'lit''i 'ls' 80 NNi'Nts' NPbh w.
-,on to caution the newly made vot-
els against allowing passion or preju-
lice TO control their acton in the
convention or at the polls, and urged
them 10 study carefully the princi-
plies involved ia National, Territorial
aud county politics, SO rs to qualify
Themselves 10 discharge intelligently
aud with fidelity the highest duties
uf American citizenship. The ad-
wee was 10y 10 means presumptuous,
when It IL considered tina. tue STAND
Nun hnd been the most steadfast
champion Of the rights of woman.
hood for fifteen years before success
crowned it, efforts, and that TO it
more than any other single cause
could have been attributed its final
success Indeed it is safe TO assert
that. without the continued and pei.
sIstont all Of this paper, in and out
OF the halls OF legislation, the law
would not now be on the statute
books whereby the ballot is con.
foIred upon woman. The argu.
men,s used. the assursnce given, the
pledges made. that women would
bring 10 bear the same discretion az
her brother man in the exercise OF
this right. obtained for the measure
a respectful - vote Mt each succeed
IN. session Of tn, Legislature. Nei-
Their par,iennship nor creed was al
lowed 10 enter into the discussion of
It's rropriciy. 1t was urged upon
tho broad ground Of civilization and
humanity; that oil good citizens
should have the right to participate
IN tho privileges and duties OF
governments based, in theory at least,
on POPULAR intelligence.
THIS common-sense view of the
subject was the basis OF lis strength.
The arguments advanced were unan-
swerablc. aud finally the prejudice
OF the past reluctantly gave way to
what appeared TO be a step OF pro-
Rfession to higher plane of free
government Then il was that the
friends Of the measure realized that
grave responsibility rested upon
them for their agitation and advo-
cacy OF q measure Ms yet untried, and
Il must be confessed that the conf
dence felt when tho energies were all
enlisted for snccess, was moderated
by the knowledge that large pro-
portion OF the newly made voting
element was as ignorant OF polity
ms they were unskilled in detecting
tho schemes Of interruptions politi-
cicians.
The NANTES. alton of this sincere
desire for woman to acquit herself in
accord with promises of the friends
who placed the ballot in her
hands. was not received in the
spirit it WAS intended. When
II was shown that under a govern.
m mt toloraiing innumerable creeds
aud forrs of worship, the rights of
all should DO respected, it was con-
sidsred by many in no other light
than an attack upon their own pecu.
liar Lelief. When consideration was
urged Of the only issues before the
people. in some instances, men who
we're known to be truo to princi-
ples involved were ru,hlessly slaush-
tered, and others as we'll known to
DO secretly inimical to the vital ques.
tons at stake were favored, simply
because q Aiusy pretense OF an &C
cepiance OF church dogmas had
blinded the eyes to all other defects.
Ia such q contest, if the balance of
power was held by the few as it U.S.
ually IL. the voter not only deliber-
a'eIy sacrifices all principle and aids
it's enemies, but pays in the most d.
rect manner a premium upon some
OF the sins which women should un-
quali6edly condemn.
The two last municipal elections
in Seattle develop another phase of
this same devotion to creed, and
shows how it may be carried to such
lengths as to arouse a popular indig.
nation that becomes irresistible. A
yenr ago, tine wom.n-under the di.
rection OF n fauatical Judge whose
code Of Judicial procedure would be
the Connecticut Blue Laws had he
the choice, and the special leadership
ola few shrewd, aspiring politicians
waiting for a hobby to ride into
power-made the Puritanic creed
their platform, believing that they
were serving Heaven by placing the
administration OF the affairs of Earth
on one OF their narrow.gauge creeds.
They were successful in electing a
majority Of their municipal officers
at time when liberal policy was
necessary to maintain trade and ju.
dlclous management essential to
ward of the effects of a general de.
preston incident to q shrinkaoe in
values Of all kinds of real property.
Tho new Council soon antaconized
many OF the leading men, and the
busting city assumed the quiet CON
dition Of New England village.