Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-04-26
Why THEY DON'T VOTE.
SOME OF THE RESULTS or THE
WOMAN SUFFRAGE LAW ~
KANSAS

WOMAN SUFFRAGE LAW ~
KANSAS
The experimental stages OF WON
an suffrage il Kansas leave the
question still an open one. II has
settled nothing farther than that
when the women vote, they vote
about as intelligentiy as The men
do, aud on about the same lines Of
division. The trouble with them
Is that they don't vote. Almost
every Kansas town and city of the
second and third class or lower, in
which the law gives women the
right to vote for municipal officers
and to hold municipal Office, reports
q great falling of in the size Of the
vote cast by women. The annual
town elections will occur in abOnt
three weeks, and 1t is generally ex-
pected that they will show further
shrinkage, except in some localities
where special local issues rage
The reduction process has been
steady ever since the first election
under the new law, when there was
a great OutpOuring Of women who
wanted to experience the novelty
of casting a ballot. After once
playing with the toy they seem to
have tired OF it, and only at certain
points and on great occasions have
they exhibited their voting strength
The election of Mrs. Salter as
Mayor of Argonia, and the election
Of Mrs. Lowman as Mayor and an
entire Council of women at Oska-
loosa, brought out the entire female
vote, but the majority OF it on both
occasions was against the women
candidates. Whether it be preju.
dice or a dlstrust Of their own sex
in public office, or some quality of
the female mind it is impossible to
analytic ; 1t is nevertheless the fact
that the woman of Kansas cannot
be credited with the elevation Of
their sisters to Office. The honor
of that achievement belongs 10 the
men, who seem to have laid aside
other considerations and gwen
their gallanIry free rem.
Kansas women vote a great deal
like Kansas men. There is no
difference, except that the women
are more secretive with their ballot
before 1t goes into the box, and
more communicative about 1t after
1t gets there. 1t IL easy to tell how
the woman vote Is going by a close
listener at the polls. They ap-
proach the ballotbox with an air
OF caution and secrecy which sits /
well upon them, deposit their votes,
and, in almost every case, express /
wish for the election of their /
favorite candidates. They usually /
come in twOs, and sometimes in /
larger numbers, aud enliven the /
humdrum mOnOtOny OF the pro-
ceedings with their bright faces .
and animated conversation. They |
undoubtedly exert a moral intiu-
ence over electlOneering methods,
for they are absolutely incOrrupu-
BILE and an unknown quantity which
leaves the trafiickers without a
reckoning.
On party lines, whenever such
things are drawn in elections for
municipal offices, the women are
generally more jealous partisans
than the men, and sharp contest
of this character generally brings
them out in force. Such contests
are not frequent, however, and the
result is that the woman vote, AZ a
factor in local government, is rap
idly disappearing. This IS to be re-
GREETED on many accounts, for, as
far as it has gone, the experiment
may be said to he more of success
than failure. 1t has resulted IN
bringing a better class of men and
women into public service in many
places. But the bauble has cyl
IDENTIFY lost its glitter, for women all
over Kansas say that if there is no
political excitement in elections
they can vote at, they will rot vote
ot oil ~ Toujs PeDuLljc.