The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-04-09
FEMALE VOTERS IN KANSAS.

Under the laws OF Kansas the right Of suf-
frage Is conferred upon women IN the NUM-
cipal elections, and this right they seemed
10 have exercised on Tuesday. even more fully
than usual. although there Were no female
candidates for positions higher than member
ship of school boards.
Hitherto women in that Commonwealth had
been aspiring to become mayors Of towns aud
members OF municipal councils, but IN tins
instance, whatever ambition some may have
entertained. appears to have been suppressed
The ballots of the female voters were cast Tor
male candidates, who are reported 10 have
furnished every kind of conveyance TO IN
sure rs large an attendance of women at the
polls as the list of registered voters called for.
Although an unusual degree Of interest was
felt in the issue of the elections on account Of
the active part which the Citizens Alliance.
"a branch OF the Farmers Alliance, took in
them, there is no account Of any improper
means having been employed 10 manipulate
the votes Of the women. No statement Is
made as 10 the side on which they threw the
weight of their influence, from which 1t may
be concluded that they followed the direction
Of their nearest male relatives and voted IN
accord with the heads Of their households.
In the great campaign that led to the over
throw of Ingalls, it is we'll known that the Kan
sas women were active supporters of the Farm
er's Alliance which brought about the defeat
of the Senator. and that this defeat was
largely due to the determined course which
they pursued in this connection. In the Tues
day elections, the Citizens Alliance, which
AS we have said. is only another name for the
Farmers Alliance, seem TO have been very
generally defeated. whether for local reasons
or not the report which has been received
does not fully disclose. The Citizens Alliance
was only successful in the instances in which
it adopted the candidates of the Democratic
party, which would appear to go to show that
1t was not as ardently supported either by the
men or the women Of Kansas as in the cleo
tions which resulted in the displacement Of
Senator Ingalls,.
In the elections of Tuesday, the issue was
probably largely shaped by local questio Ms
and there was not as sharp division on party
lines in consequence as in the previous cleo
tons. which involved the success or failure Of
questions which concerned directly the in
terests of the Farmers Alliance in their widest
bearing, both State and National.
The experiment of female suffrage in Kan
sas is being watched with very great interest.
for it will throw very important light upon
the manner in which the right will be exer-
cisod by women generally. So far the expert
ment has proven successful in municipal
elections, and there is reason 10 believe
that in Kansas, at least, it will
in the future be tried in gubernatorial
and legislative elections. The women in the
elections which have taken place have added
TO the volume of votes without seriously af-
fecting the result by any disposition to act as
one body. They have simply extended the
lines upon which local political contests were
fought out previous to their receiving the
right Of suffrage