Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1888-12-15
Women Voters In Boston,

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election Cleveland had majority in
"The Hub" of 8,848 in total male
vote of 65,087, but at last Tuesdays
election of mayor, aldermen, members
of the common council and members
Of the school board the opposition
ticket, consisting chiefly of republi-
cans, was successful, and Boston for
the first time in many years is to have
thoroughly republican administra-
ton. This revolution was brought
about by several causes. The gov
eminent of that city by the democrats
has not for some time past, it is said,
been on high plane. Mayor Hugh
O'Brien, who is now near the close
of his fourth term, is credited with
the purpose OF giving Boston pure
and efficient administration, but the
ward bosses, upon whom he was COM
PEELED to lean for advice and support,
were like ward bosses everywhere.
They turned the municipal machinery
into an engine for the qualification Of
personal interest, and those often Of
a low character. The particular Incl
dent which gave spirit and energy to
the opposition, it appears, was the
school, boards banishing from the
high school a certain history because
of alleged reflections in it upon the
Roman Catholic Church Another
incident which had an effect upon
local sentiment was the action of the
board in putting teacher who had
used the book in question at work in
ancient instead OF medieval history.
These two acts of the board were in
terpreted by persons of large local
influence as evidence of disposition
on the part of the board to give
certain religious bias to the teaching
of the public schools. Several clergy
men raised the mo Popery' cry,
and the action of the board was turn
ed to political use. The old Puritan
feeling was strongly stirred by i'm
FASHIONED speeches. AS the two
members of the board who had voted
against the removal Of the obnoxious
book and the transfer of the teacher
were women, the women Of Boston
took the matter up with the utmost
warmth. They talked and agitated
and dicussed the alleged religious as
pect of the affair until the whole COM
munity became interested in it. Had
they stopped there the republican
ticket would probably have been de-
feated by the usual majority, But
the ladies did not stop. They con-
firmed to the requirements of the
State law-now some ten years old
which entities them, on exhibiting
q receipted tax bill, to register and
vote for members of the school
board, and they went to the polls
and voted in great numbers. Last
year but 800 women were register ed,
and of these but 700 took the trouble
to vote. Their interest in the cleo
ton this year was such that over U.s.
900 of them got themselves assessed
for taxes, and 22.2l6 had their names
placed on the voting lists. OF the
latter number from $4,000 to 10000
voted for members of the school
board, with the result that they elect
ed school commissioners favorable
to the restoration of the rejected
text book. What was of equal i'm
portance, they brought out the full
! male vote. The prohibition element,
the friends of high license and the
independent element all turned out
in strong force. The movement of
the women was not confined, it APP
pears, to any one section of the pop.
ulation. White and colored, foreign
born and native-born, rich and poor,
jostled each other at the polls and
worked" with zeal and energy
that astonished the male politicians.
Mothers brought their daughters
and sons, and the cook and the maid
were not forgotten. The registra-
ton, however, had some embarrass
ments for young ladies of a certain
age. Some Of them declined to give
their age, and wanted to register on
statement that it was "twenty-one
| plus" but were turned away by the
"unfeeling brutes" in charge of the
registration. Others, in their ardor,
voted the first ticket given them
by designing ticket-holders, and cried
bitterly when they had voted for the
other side. The resultant of all the
various forces at work was the poll
ing of the largest the city had ever
known. This time the ladies favored
the republican ticket. Asthere was.
however, but little politics in their
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