Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1890-02-06
In W0MAN'S BEHALF.
HOW WOMEN VOTE.

bhtJ NthV " thC pViio III HtI UClo
than ever before. Their vote made a
/ gain in numbers of at least thirty per
cent. The enthusiasm was of rational
sort-not manufactured by few hot
| headed zealots, but the healthy out
| growth Of an earnest interest in affairs
were more successful than on previous
occasions in electing the candidates of
their choice; they went more generally
into the primaries, and their effect on
the election was distinctly stronger.
They fully sustained their reputation
for voting more uncompromisingly than
rlen on the right side of moral ques-
tions, and they made evident their
determination to compel the cleo
ton of a better class of men to
| municipal Office. Given men of equally
| good character for opposing can
didates, and the women of each party
will earnestly support the candidate of
their own party; but let the nominee Of
their own party be man of known inn
moral life, and the nominee OF the OPP
| posing party man Of clean record, and
the women flock to the support of the
latter, regardless of party fealty, and
nominations are made with respect to
that fact by all parties. Whether the
women vote at every opportunity or not,
the fact that they may vote has a salu-
tary effect on elections The woman
vote is held as a reserve power, and is
well known to be liable to come out and
upset the best-laid plans of men, when
| said plans do not accord with the pre-
conceived notions Of the women voters
of the degree of morality of which a
man should be possessed who is to be
put into place in which he may lay his
hand upon the government of city in
which boys and girls are to get their
bringing up.
| All this is not to say that women vot-
ers make no mistakes, nor yet that
every woman votes from the purest mo-
tives; but it is to say that the majority
OF the women of the cities of Kansas
have voted on the right side of moral
| questions They have made mistakes
| in men and measures, and repented in
time to make partial amends at the next
| election, but they have not been in the
| wrong as often as they have been in the
right. Some women voted from ignoble
motives, but more women voted with
| high purposes. A bad man, whose
name was Wrong, was nominated fol
mayor by the Republican party; Re.
| publican woman was opposing his cleo
ton on moral grounds. A henchman
| of Mr.. Wrong visited her, and said
Your support comes from your
daughter, who is teacher. II
you don't support Mr.. Wrong,
/ will use my influence, which you
know to be powerful, to prevent your
daughter fom securing her school fol
another year" The small, quiet woman
rose, and said with gentle dignity, and
an air which forbade further discussion
"Your candidate is wrong by nature as
well as by name. ] will not vote fol-
him. Good morning, sir" Every body
likes to know how things come out, and
it is pleasant to add that the twice
wrong man was not elected, and the
daughter had better position offered
her. On the other hand, a lady who
thought it scandalous thing for ;
woman even to register, voted for a MAJ
of questionable character because she
expected thereby to secure his assist
ance in getting a post-office position
The compensation was just-she didn
get the place.
When women began to vote, theil
leadings in this direction betrayed then
into error. With their eyes fixed upor
the moral fitness of men for city office
they, in many instances, forget to con
slider other qualifications The expert
ences of that first election taught WON
en- that, to be an efficient officer, MAJ
needs not only TO be good, but good fol-
something; that along with the best in
tentions in the world there must go ex
ecutive ability to prosecute those inten
tions, and that business, as we'll as NOR
al, sense goes into the makeup of al
effectual city official
One of the most hopeful features O
this experiment In woman suffrage il
the evident capacity of the women vot
ers to learn. Their mistakes are proph
ecies of more thoughtful effort and bet
ter laid plans further on. The DISPOSE
ton to pit the woman vote against tn,
male vote has almost entirely disap
peared, and certain male voters hav,
rapidly unlearned their inclination t,
regard women voters as enemies ant
usurpers, and have come to look upol
them, not as taking mems places, o
"trying to be men," but as performin,
their legitimate part in the world
work.
Women vote with considerable indie
pendence. Few people, few suffragist
expected such independence to develol
thus early in the women voters, but tn
truth is that women do more, an,
men do less, of their own thinking thar
is generally supposed. 1t is safe to sa,
that Kansas women vote no more lik
their male relatives than Kansas me-
vote like their male relatives. Wive
vote no oftener like their husbands tina,
sons vote like their fathers.
1t is generally conceded that their eS
perience in voting has left women wit
stronger partisan tendencies than the
began with. They ere learning the re
lation of party to success in election
and the enforcement of law, but n
party has any surety of the blind adhe
sion of women. The women voters ar
the despair of the professional polit
clan, who finds his occupation almos
gone as far as city politics are concern
ed. He complains of various thing,
which, simmered down, means that h
is exasperated because the woman vot
can't be manipulated easily, and tha
in spite of 'the machine" the wome
will vote their own sweet will
Wives vote with their husbands an
they vote against them. They vot
tickets in part or wholly opposed to tn
l -. \ l..