Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-05-23
OF MINOR IMPORTANCE.

pal suffrage for women have just been
voted down in Maine. Massachusetts,
Ohio and Dakota furnishes fresh proof
of the disadvantages at which dis
franchised class always is. Since 1853.
when the petition of Louisa Alcott's
mother for suffrage was refused, there
has been an almost continuous move
ment in some form for legal or political
rights for women. Of late years the
effort has been especially for municipal
suffrage. The petitioners for this
measure. in the State of Massachusetts,
alone. have in some years numbered
more than $4,000 But though it is
thirty-six years since suffrage petitions
began to be sent up. women are still a
disfranchised class. If they had been
voters, and had petitioned for any thing
that had SO substantial basis of justice
as has the present claim for equal pelit-
ical rights, it would have been impossi-
BILE to deny it.
Take the case in Maine last year.
The House of Representatives wanted
$1,000 with which to pay their postage
There was a certain feeling that it was
not right to take that money from the
taxpayers. and that the $4,000 letters
whose postage it was to pay would not
be written. Nevertheless, under a sus-
pension of the rules, the bill was pushed
through and the appropriation made.
The power to get it was in the hands
of those who wanted it.
LObstering is a great business inter-
est in Maine. Petitions on behalf of
the lobster poured into the Legislature.
1t was discussed how short he ought to
would be at another, and how much he
would grow in twenty -four hours. His
case went from one committee to an
other. and finally, in conference COM
mittee from both houses, the lobster
bill passed. The men interested in the
lobster had votes They were on the
spot to urge their own measure. They
were not left thirty-six years without
protection to their canning of Holsters
rs women have been left in the great
matter of personal rights.
The Maine farmers had found the
crow a pest to their corn. and the farm
ers gave their Neutrality-suspicious. no
peace till they offered a reward for the
body of the crow. But when 10000
petitioners. including the best women
of Maine. asked for municipal suffrage,
the Maine Legislature. though it was
very polite to them and granted them
n hearing in the hall of the House,
finally gave them .'leave to withdraw"
despite the fact that some of the men,
bers spoke we'll in their behalf Maine
women asked for a reform school for
girls. but they could not get it. One of
the Maine Senator's told me, I'VE have
a law to let girls of thirteen marry,
and when they marry they come into
possession OF all their property. What
more can you want? Gould you have
had such law If the mothers had
votes? asked. Il do not think we
could" was his honest reply. But
neither the mothers nor any women of
Maine have votes. so they stand outside
and wait while the lobster and the
crow are attended TO.
In Massachusetts,, after weary years,
and after all objections had been an
Swered. We were told that when wo-
men showed they would use suffrage if
they had it." the right would be Sc
cured to them. Every one remembers
the pitiless storm through which 20, 900 |
women in this city went last fall to |
vote, after having first asked to be |
taxed that they might vote for school |
committee. Again we went up to the
Legislature with the names of thou
sands of petitioners The committee |
gave us ample hearing" They re-
ported a bill. The question came up
in the House, and some members spoke |
well for the bill. and then we had
'.leave to withdraw" by vote, includ-
ing pairs. of lS9 to 90. There was not
a woman member to speak for her
cause; not a single representative |
elected by women to feel responsible to |
them as his constituents.
In 1874 two men were arrested and |
CuuS Wy AA SuC SdtA0 CCAAs DUH W6T0 l
drunk. In the morning one of the men |
was found dead. The other received a |
life sentence for murder. Not long ago |
the representative of Ward 8. in this |
city. and the mission priest Of the State |
prison. set out to secure his pardon. |
They interested the representatives of /
Ward in his case. and with the effort |
they and others made the pardon was
secured. and the man restored to all his |
political rights The pardon may have |
been deserved; but mark the contrast |
A man arrested in the first place for
drunkenness. and afterwards serving . |
life sentence for murder. is SO easily,
by the efforts Of two or three men, re- |
stored to full political rights. and al
lowed to vote for all the Offices of the |
CITY. State and Nation. But when Mas