The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-11-11
FROM A W0MANS STANDPOINT.
On for the Indianapolis Journal.

Written for the indianapolis journal.
Never in any preceding campaign was there
such universal interest exhibited among women
Never before did they read the papers 90 closely.
listen to 30 many addresses, write much on
politics and make SO many political speeches.
This can only be explained as one form of the
remarkable progress that women are making In
every direction 1t is often urged against woman
suffrage that the dear creatures will be
rudely jostled at the polls. and may get tobacco
smoke blown in their faces 1t will hardly be
said, however. that the crowd and the smoke
will be any thicker around the polls than it has
been at the speakings and the street rallies OF
the campaign just closed, and yet no one has
seemed to think that women have been partic-
ularly out Of place on these occasions, or that
they have been injured in body. mind or NOR
ais. On the contrary, the campaign has been
highly educational to both men and women.
The interest aud zeal of the women have been
somewhat phenomenal. inasmuch as, after they
had studied the question thoroughly and made
up their minds. they were denied the
privilege of expressing their opinion at
the ballot-box, the place where
political opinions count for something,
besides mere natural gas. Does any one suppose
the men of this country would have displayed so
al-absorhing an interest in the Issues at stake
il they had not been permitted to vote upon
them when the important day came that was TO
decide these mattersi II women have taken 90
much care to study these questions without any
hope OF being allowed an expression, will they
not much moro thoroughly inform themselves
when they become an actual factor in the body
politicf And does not this refute the argument
that 'f women gould vote it would only increase
the number Of ballots without changing the re-
sulti'
Bnt at present women must, for the most part,
form their ideas from . careful reading Of the
daily papers and, being comparatively with
drawn from the excitement and turmoil, they
sometimes observe with q clsarness and
calmness not possible to men. One OF the things
that must have impressed women and, indeed,
thoughtful men, Is the prcminence that has been
given to betting on the results. In one column
we read that, according to the statutes, betting
10 a punishable offense with heavy penalty At
tached, and in the next column We read that
'it 10 estimated not less than az. 600, 900
changed hands this week account of bets on
tho result" and that "among the winners and
losers most talked about at the Hoffman and
Fifth-avsnue Hotel. Hon. Matthew Quay is be-
lieved to be one of the heaviest winners and
hon. W. L. Scott among the heaviest losers"
and these followed by a long list of ex-Gov-
ernors, Senators, etc., who won or lost The
local papers implore their readers to vote for
this or that party in order TO drive the gamblers
out OF town, and at the same time keep posted at
inc nedu OF InelE Columns naming announce
ment5 or standing bets waiting to be taken, and
as coon as one is covered another is put up. in
GLIDING town lots, stocks of merchandise, etc.
etc. The probable success or failure of q candi-
date 10 judged by the way the betting goes, and
the newspapers keep the books When we find
our boys In the pool-room at the keno and
faro tables how are We going to make IL clear TO
them that it Is a sin TO stake money on the
turning of card and they are liable TO be
rested but If they put their money on the count
ing Of the ballots the Law will wink one eye and
shut the other. and public opinion, which is il
fact the moral law, will sustain and sanction the
actl
Still another phase of affairs is rather sppall-
ing to old fashioned. conscientious people. VIZ:
the Wholesale buying and selling OF votes that
has become so commonplace as 10 be accepted
as a necessary evil. We have reached q point
now where, 10 making our esti mates Of elections,
we must consider five factors-the Republican,
Democratic, Prohibition. Labor and purchas-
able votes. The last Is most unreliable because
it il not confined TO any certain party or class.
There are men in comfortable circumstances
making fair wages, who do not hesitate to offer
their vote to the highest bidder; and there are
HELPLESS ones depending upon their earnings
aud yet possessed Of so grand q sense of mAnli-
ness and honor that money cannot purchase
their freema ans vote. When We read or hear
the matter-of-fact statement that 90 many
votes will have to be purchased
our minds go back 20 the revolution
airy war. where our brave and sterling
foresathers. hungry and cold, with naked and
bleeding feet, in the face OF such hardsh,ps an
no men ever suffered before, fought and con-
Qusrsd for the principle Of individual Representa-