The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-08-15
FACTS ABOUT WASHINGTON.
Why the Politicians Worked to Depriv
Woman of the Ballot.

Why the Politicians Worked to Deprive
Woman of the Ballot.
Editor Woman'S Column, Morning Call:
Mrs. Switzer in her address gives the testi-
mony of some Of the prominent men of
the Territory at the time of the first ad-
verse decision DISTINGUISHING the women.
Hon. j. r. Kinnear of Seattle at an indig-
nation meeting said: " maintain that the
woman suffrage law of this Territory, after
a practical test of three and a half years,
has proven success. Our elections are
orderly and quiet and the influence Of
woman practical and beneficial. Up to
within few weeks there was not muir
muir from SOUL"
Chief Justice Greene said: Twelve terms
of court have | now held in which women
have served as grand and petty jurors, and
IL is TACT beyond dispute that no other
twelve terms so salutary for the restraint OF
crime have ever been held in the Territory"
Charles F. Munday of Seattle said of the
matter: IF | were Governor of Washing
ton Territory | would call an extra session
of the Legislature and have the woman
suffrage law passed on again"
Mr.. Cochrane, Sheriff of King County,
said: women cannot be handled at cleo
ton times as men can. L have found that
out"
Hon. Jesse George. ex-United States
Marshal for Washington Territory, said
that during the last two years of
HIS OFFICIAL TERM
Women served as jurors and in the capacity
of ba lifts at court During all this time
Mr.. George had never heard one woman
object TO jury duty; nor among those who
served did he ever find but one who could
not write her name, and in her case the
disability arose because the right arm was
disabled. This inability he found not I'M
common among men, for their signatures
were often Eligible, something he never
found true in the writing of a woman.
Mrs. Switzer says that from her own OBJ
servatOns in the Territory, as Territorial
President of the w. c. Il. IT,, as woman,
from her participation on election days
and her experience as juror, she
could say that, although almost a
life time suffragist, the measure was
even greater success tnan she
had believed it would be. Her quoted
testimony is: Election day is usually re-
garded as a rather pleasant occasion. The
polling places are uniformly orderly and
W holly free from unpleasant occurrences.
Women Of all classes voted" The Republic
can party in convention in Seattle, Septem-
Der, 1884, passed this resolution: I'VE
heartily Indorse the law passed at the last
session of the Legislature extending
THE RIGHT OF SUFFRAGE
to women, and declare that the cleo
tive franchise should not be denied any
month the Democratic party met at Tacoma
and res, lived as follows: 1--WE are in favor
of so amending the laws as to relieve women
from compulsory jury duty in this Terri
tory. With this amendmentwe heartily in
dorse the present laws extending the right
of suffrage to women" etc Two years later
both these parties reaftirmed this indorse-
ment.
The Territorial Convention Of the Peo-
Pies party met at Tacoma September 4,
tod I'll. Mo-
will oppose all efforts to dlsfranchise the
women of Washington" But, alas! for
party resolutions, the women were not
''eaSiy handled" They understood that
franchise means conscientious Opin-
ion at the ballot box, and the
so that party bosses decided that they
should be dropped. They asserted that
women do not wish to vote" ''are nm
wiling 10 SIT on juries.'' ETC., then went TO
chise them, not letting them vote upon the
question themselves. Had they believed
their assertions they would have been eager
10 let women vote down woman suffrage,
but they knew better and
FIRST DIsARMED
The women, then struck them down.
They were in the politicians way, and no
reason could be given therefor except that
they were 'mugwumps," that dreadful
creature that will not do just as his boss
dictates, lad there been fairness the
women would have won, for many men
were their friends. The papers from
being warm friends OF this measure
suddenly turned against them; the party
bosses combined and sent out from
their headquarters tickets with the For
Woman Suffrage" printed as crossed off,
Many dropped such tickets unwittingly. A
great number of railroad employees had come
into the Territory since the enfranchise-
ment Of women, and there were seven
men to one woman, while the wo-
men were forbidden a counted opinion.
Yet in spite of this well organized
opposition and the threat that Washington
would not be admitted by Congress with
equal suffrage, about 10000 men out of the
81, COO who voted for the Constitution voted
"For Woman Suffrage" If any women
were apathetic, they have since had some
eye-openers. School suffrage was also
withheld. Mothers are not supposed to be
interested in the teachers who mold their
chldren's minds. Their food and clothes
are all that concern her. The property laws
were the same for men and women. The
first Legislature assailed them, but the end
is not yet, for nothing is ever settled until
it is settled right" 5. 5.