Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-01-03
WOMAN'S DEPARTMENT.
PUT INTO PRACTICE

ttOns
Bunyan. in his Pilgrims Progress, -
found the lions which filled him with
terror at distance all chained when
he came near enough to see them close
at hand. 1t is SO with woman suffrage.
The old idea that politics is ga filthy
pool" that II women have any share in
1t, it will pollute and degrade them. rob
them of their modesty. 'unsex them. :"
snake men of them,' ETC., is still per-
vasive. Is it strange that many women,
like Bunyam's Pilgrim. are filled with
dread at the idea of voting?
But take a practical illustration. A
woman voter in Wyoming Territory
said, when Intercepted: I'VE were
very shy of voting at first. but when we
found what we could do by it, We have
voted ever since.' What could you
do by it?' she was asked. She said:
"When we came to the Territory we
had no houses, but lived in tents and
emigrant wagons. Our men began to
build houses, working every day, Sum-
days. as we'll, so that all days were
alike-shops, stores, saloons, open all
the time. When our houses were built,
SO that there was no excuse for Sunday
work, saloons and shops kept open just
the same, and we had no quiet Sum
days. But when the next election was
coming, the men and women who
wished to have business suspended on
Sunday agreed upon a ticket which, if
elected, would secure what they de-
sired. The day came. The men who
wanted open bars and stores went early
and voted, and seemed likely to carry
every thing their own way. The men
opposed to open bars were in minor
ity. They came to urge the women
voters to do their duty, but we could
not go till after dinner, for in this Ter
ritory every woman has to do her own
work. But we hurried, got the dinner.
washed the dishes as soon as we could,
and went and voted. And our votes,
added to the votes of the men who
agreed with us, made majority, and
We elected the right kind of city gov
eminent. Now Cheyenne is as quiet
on Sunday as any Eastern city. So
when we found what we could do by
our votes, we have not been afraid to
vote ever since"
These women did not think they were
urging "a reform against nature"
They were very busy, too, hut it was
worth while, for the welfare of the
community, to drop other things to
help elect good men to govern the city.
Take another case of practical poll
tics. In a certain town in Kansas was
an old. dilapidated log schoolhouse,
with great cracks in the floor and in
the walls, by which the children got
chilblains and colds. 1t had been
patched and mud-plastered again and
again, but it was only an old rattle-trap,
which the most careful parents wished
to replace BY new schoolhouse.
While majority of men grudged the
money new schoolhOuse would cost,
and would not vote the necessary funds,
every mother. and the men who felt
that the health of the children was not
to be measured by money, adding their
votes together. made majority. They
voted the appropriation, got the new
schoolhouse, and had the comfort of
feeling that the children were snug and
comfortable. They were very busy
women who thus helped by their votes.
But they thought it worth while to drop
some other thing while they in this
way took care of their children.
Take another case. Awoman said to
me, with ill-concealed contempt in her
tone: Il don't want to vote and make a
man of myself" But l remembered
that her town were in sore need of a
good water supply. There was not
enough for domestic use, still less to
put out a fire. l said to her: If you
could help by your vote to secure an
abundant water supply for your town,
would you not vote for that?" With
out moments hesitation she said.
why. yes. l would vote for
that" '.And be the same modest
woman that you are now, and not
make man of yourself" saidI. We'll,
i would vote for that" said she. land
ii you could vote to cleanse the school,
house in your neighborhood. that was
in so unsanitary condition that the
children died of scarlet fever and diph-
liberia, would you not vote for that?n
why. yes" said she, Il would vote
for that" 'And not make a man of
yourself, but be the same modest woman
that you are rDw?" 1 said. To which
she replied: Il suppose you will think.
after what l said, that am not consist
ent. but l would vote to renovate that
school-house.r
Now, here was practical politics.
Proper. sensible, necessary. The
''lions'' did not even appear. 1t is the
same all the way through. The law
touches the baby in the cradle, and in
nearly all the States denies to the
mother any legal right to or control of
the child, unless the marriage has heen