New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1888-04-11

The International Council of Women,
just ended at Washington, D. c., has
forced upon us through its evident i'm
por;ance, the conviction that great
political faction, steadily gaming
strength, is about to exert its influence
in future compaigns. However infantile
its power may be at its present stage
and in view of the Importance of exist
ing and Eopposed parties, which, by
having controlled the interests of this
country and dictated the course of poll
tic measures, claim prior attention, we
dare not undervalue the probable i'm
portance, which the society of woman
sutfragists may'enjoy in the near future.
In their demands they appeal to gener-
osity, which ought acknowledge, by sim.
ply following the dictations of unpreiu-
diced opinion, the truth and excellence
of their inaugurated measures. Such
a state of affairs, differing entirely with
hitherto adopted modes of conducting
government, necessarily strives to Gre
ate new condition of things, which
will needs be recognized, considering
the nature Of the active agents, which
strive to inaugurate them, by all those,
who claim to have hitherto benn neg
lected by and sorely disappointed with
the administrations, which have hither-
to ruled.
Let us consider the main clause
adopted into the platform, if we may
SO call it, of the Womans' League. 1t
is on the all important question of wo-
man suffrage, topic, which has been
repeatedly discussed by able and en-
thusiastic workers, and which has
gained recognition by several state and
territorial legislations, notably in con-
sidering educational affairs. It has
been conceded as just and beneficial,
that woman should have hand in the
administration of school, and such a
right, when first allowed, was greeted
with applause by all those working in
woman's cause, but the thorough and
practical test, which this measure was
destined to experience, failed in many
instances to satisfy the expectations of
sanguine supporters.
AS proof of this fact may be cited
the experience which Washington Terri
tory underwent, and the urgent re-
quests, which that district presents
while on the advent of statehood, for
abolishing woman suffrage. AS it is,
other issues of no lesser Importance
have been brought to bear upon yener-
al institutions, and although this may
not account solely for the dissatisfac-
ton with the question of woman suf-
frage, they certainly influenced popular
opinion materially. As a territorial
manifest states: Woman suffrage has
been tried and found wanting 1t
was passed by the legislature three
years ago, and the act was declared
null and void through some technical
5lunder in the preamble. This was
considered by many a very simple way
of disposing of an exceedingly unpleas-
ant nightmare, but our. legislature at the
last session re-enacted the old law. in
direct opposition to the petitioning of
the people, and to-day Washington
Territory, as the Idaho politicians are
constantly DINING in our ears, clan
cuisines under the domination of petit.
coat government Woman suffrage
failed because the women themselves
are in the main opposed to it. 1t has
been unpopular because those strong
minded women, who favor it, enter the
political arena training behind them a
variety OF .crotchets like prohibition,
and thepeople of the territory are anx-
iously looking forward to the next cleo
ton, when they can once and forever
nullify the enactment. A fair criteri-
on of the feeling of the people in the
cities in the territory on this question is
shown in the fact, that in'Spokane Falls
$4,000 adults in one day signed the pc
tition asking the governor to veto the
measure, OF whom 500 were women,