, 1890-07-23

Women Have Voted Here For The
Past Twenty Years.
CONGRESS- CONFIRMS THE RIGHT.



men. This fact naturally attracts
much attention in outside com
munitics where woman suffrage
is entirely Il matter of theory; but
in Wyoming, where the system
has been an institution for over
twenty years, it has long since
been looked upon rs II matter of
course, and its adoption as one of
the permanent features of the
new state causes but little stir,
either among those who favor or
those who oppose it
The earlier history of woman
suffrage in Wyoming is full of
interest. and its origin WAS due
to causes which at the present
time seem tritling.
The current story of the event
Is that the bill was introduced at
the solicitation of Mrs. Esther
Morris, a lady still living in this
city. This story is not correct.
Mrs. Morris had not requested
that the bill be introduced, and
did not know that it would be.
Indirectly, however, she was the
cause of its introduction. Some
time previous to the meeting of
the first Legislative assembly, Mrs.
Morris extended some timely and
charitable assistance to Mrs. A.
IL. Bright, whose husband was
then absent from the city. Mr..
Bright was highly grateful for
this kindness, and as "A return to
Mrs. Morris, who was, and had
been for years, an ardent woman
%sutlragist, he prepared and intro.
duced the bill which gave women
the right to vote at all future
elections to be held in the terri
tory.
MIR. Bright was Il Dempcrat; Inc
had served through the War of
the Rebellion in the Federal
army, but had been strongly op
posed to granting the negroes
Of the South the right to vote.
lie said: CAS- the Republicans
have given the negroes, who are
not capable, the ballot, propose
that the Democrats give the
women, who r capable, the
same right Both houses of the
Legislature were Democratic, and
the measure passed unanimously.
The immediate effect was seen
in the contrast between the first
election in the territory held be
fore the adoption of woman
suffrage and the subsequent cleo
tons. On the first election day
hlg wagons loaded with kegs of
beer and barrels of whisky were
hauled through the streets and
the contents served tree to voters
10y the rival candidates. There
we're numerous fights and several
shooting atfrays. AT the first
election with the woman suf-
trage law in force, although the
town was filled with II motley
crowd OF railroad workmen,
ireighters, %tcamsters, soldiers,
trappers, gamblers, cowboys,
miners and the general floating
population ola wild frontier town,
the election was quictcr than that
OF a New England village. The
saloons and dance houses were
closed, ladies went to the polls
and voted without insult or mo.
Iestation; and to the present time,
whatever else may be charged
against Wyoming politics, this
feature Of the election has re-
NAMED unchanged.
Following the adoption of the
woman suffrage law, an active
interest vas manifested by many
wyoming women in public at
lars. Several ladies who still
1--we IN Wyoming were delegates
to the second Republican conven-
ton which nominated candidates
lor Congress and the various, ter
rItorlal offices. Mrs. Amelia b.
l,oSt, who is vice-president of the
National Woman's Suffrage As
Soclallon, was a member for sew
eral years of the Republican
County Central Committee. She
was Nominated g.,