Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1889-02-02
MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.
. the Editor of the western Kanza, World.

I
held this year in cities of the first
and second class on April 2; in cities
of the third class, on April 1. Those
dates seem long way off now, but
they will be here doubtless before
we are fully ready for them. Many
Of the failures cf women to elect
the candidates Of their choice or to
carry certain measures in the mu-
nicipal elections in which women
have participated were the inevitable
consequence of beginning late with
the preparatory work. It is time
now to begin to make plans for the
coming election and to devise means
for putting those plans into ezecu-
ton.
That success may crown the eff
forts of the women voters, that they
may do the most good with their
ballots. it will be necessary for them
to study to succeed in electing their
candidates; and something more
than unimpeachable intentions is
necessary both in the methods of
election and the selection of candi-
dates. In the receipt for cooking a
hare the first thing is to catch your
hare: in electing good men to city
Offices the first thing is to catch
good men for candidates; but since
we have so few desirable men left
on earth with enough public spirit
to accept of these Offices for the sake
of the public welfare-offiees which
impose considerable distasteful labor
and offer in return little of honor or
emolument-this finding of the
right men for candidates is not an
easy matter. But do not be discour-
aged; take the best man to be had
and support him heartily. and if ex-
perience has taught you that You
were unwiSe in your choice Of the
men you supported last year or the
year before, do not let that fact les
sen your earnest effort to do the best
thing according to your light in the
coming election. Neither imps nor
angels. nor yet male voters. have
ever been able to make sure before
hand what a man will do after he is
elected. How then is it possible
that new voters shall be infallible in
selecting candidates for Office?
The moral character Of a man
counts for so much in the eyes Of
women that in their inexperience
they have been inclined to choose
the man of nigh morality without
stopping to consider whether or not
he had any other qualifications for
the Office. | do not recommend vo-
ting for immoral men; | wish to be
understood as saying that morality
alone does not make good city off,
Ger. A mayor or a councilman, to
be profitable to the city, must not
only be good. but be good for some
thing. Be their morality Of ever so
high an order. if they are not men
of strength, executive ability. prac-
teal business knowledge and good
common sense, their government
will prove a failure. disastrous to
the interests which they were elect
ed to serve and protect-the moral
interest as much as any other.
IL possible, let the men and wo-
men voters who care for the best in
terests of the city together determine
upon a candidate. so that there shall
not be a womans ticket against
mans ticket. Let it be the right
against the wrong. not the sexes
pitted against each other. We have
had instances in yarions cities where
the antagonism between the male
and female voters would not have
existed If the men had been willing
to admit the new voters to the eau
Gus, and made any effort to settle on
a candidate mutually acceptable to
the women who want officers that
will look after the moral interests of
the city, and the men who want Of
ficers to look after the eity's finan-
cial interests.
LAURA NJ. JOINS.
President K. E. S. A.