Telegram-herald., 1891-10-16
EQUAL RIGHTs TO WOMEN.
Mrs. Clara a. Colby Reads Vigorous
Defense OF Them.

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Mrs. Clara Is. Colby Reads Vigorous
Defense OF Them.
Mrs. Bewick Colby, OF Beatrice, Neb.,
editor oil the Woman's Tribune, reau
~ paper on 1.-The Status OF Wyoming
as Affected by Woman Suffrage"
After read hg the clauses in the consti-
SUTTON relating 10 the equal rights OF
women, Mrs. Colby said: We are
so acc cusi o4ned TO the subservient con
uition OF women, and think SO super
EciaiIy that it is difficult TO realize
tine full import of these grand and
dignified utterances." The speaker
claimed that Notwithstanding the
changed condition OF women in many
respects their advance in relation to
the body polite has not kept pace
with the material and intellectual
progress oil the age. With the excep-
tdon OF school matters in hall the
States and municipalities, inl Kansas,
in every State but Wyoming woman is
still incapable OF bringing any direct
influence TO bear upon the machinery
o. government, or the making OF laws
which touch her in every relation OF
behold the great transformation scene
OF the nineteenth century. The sub
ject becomes law-maker and SOW
ereign. The political nonentity be
comes person, a citizen, part oil
the people; impossible thereafter to be
ignored; one who makes Legislators,
Governors, United States Senator's and
Presidents. Mrs. Colby then took the
text of woman suffrage, the various
Publications that 1t had in revising
the laws, the last being in March,
1890, which was especially significant
as it gave the lie 10 those who were
opposing the admission OF Wyoming
om the ground that the woman SUI
frage clamor did not represent the VIII
oi the people. The good results OF wo-
men sitting on iuries and acting as
justices o. the peace were then shown
and, the speaker claimed that the i'm
petus given to good order at this
time was distinctly traceahlc in the
legislation and Jurisprudence OF
Wyoming. The women OF Douglass
were the first to resume the jury duty
which now unquestionably belongs to
the women OF Wyoming The case
was that OF young woman who
Claimed that the landlady owed her
500 so for labor performed at the
hotel. The judge said 1t was q wo-
mans controversy and none, but wo-
meni were qualified 20 sit on the case.
The Jury were unanimously in favor
of the labor. and both Judge and jury
received many congratulations. Qnota-
tons were then made from the official
reports OF Governor John w. Hoyt
ln 1873 and in 1882. showing that
women i&nerally voted, and that un-
der woman suffrage ''we have better
cares, better officers, better mstitu-
tons, better morals and higher social
conditions in general than could other
wise exist" This claim was sup
ported by citations from reports OF
Speaker n. l.. Andrews In 1879. Chief
Justice Fisher in 1888, OF Justice King
man. and Governor Francis r. War
ren's reports during several years TO
the Secretary OF the Interior. The
testimony that the status OF Wyoming
has been ma aterially benefited by the
vote Of women is unanimous. contiuu-
Gus and conclusive. On the other side
are only random statements born of
n prejudice whose wish il father to
the thonght. We are therefore bound
to- accept the testimony II we exercise
the ordinary trust and credulity on
which. our other beliefs and daily
transactions are based.
With such an experience Of twenty
years it was not strange that the con-
stitutional convention of July. 1850.
should present TO the world the first
constitution adopted by men which
gives each citizen the same rights guar
anteed to every other citizen. IL was
not strange that the men refused to
have Wyoming admitted as a state
II the women were not allowed equal
rights. The contrast between the Unit-
ed States constitution centennial and
the great celebration OF statehood
which was held in Cheyenne July %,
1890. showed that woman suffrage.
conferred at first In Wyoming. from
mere selfish motives, had awakened the
sleeping Justice OF men, and enhanced
The dignity OF women, making them
instead az the rejected and ignored
humble petitioners they are In other
states. the acceptable cempeers Of men.
The speaker then xsve the result
~ carefsf7 study OF the census tables
which shows that while crime has m
creased IN the whole United States in
a ratio double that of the population,
although the population has inereas-
szf five times as msrh in proportion
~ the whole United States, it< crime
has not increased At all, y having
exactly the same number of criminals
IN 1890 that II had in 1850. An inter
e~fing fsrt is that of this number IN
1Se0 none are women. Since Wyoming
= the only state IN which the per
cruf. al woman criminals has decreae-
~ IS l. evident that fhe morals of
the female part Of the population Ina