The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-04-09
WOMEN IN MASSACHUSETTS.

The Massachusetts Legislature has
under consideration a woman suffrage
bill. It has passed the House and gone
to the Senate. 1t is of peculiar con-
struction. Its purpose is to confer up
on women the right to vote at munich
pal elections. But while it does this in
one part of the bill, in another it pro-
vides for the submitting of the PROPOSE
ton whether women shall be allowed
so to vote to the people. under the
present law at the next state election.
The first part confers municipal suf-
frage on women without further con-
ditions, the second part requires the
voters to pass their opinion upon it.
That is very peculiar because if the
bill passes, the women of Massachusetts
will have the rights it confers no mat
ter what the popular vote may be re-
garding it. The whole question now
lies with the Senate, because it is well
understood that the Governor will sign
it if it should pass.
This is the first time such a measure
has passed the House in that state.
Women have been permitted to vote at
school elections but not at any others
1t would seem that if the Legislature
can go so far as to provide for munich
pal woman suffrage, it might just as
well go to the full length of female
franchise and settle the question at
| once.
The question assumes a little diff
ferent aspect in Massachusetts to its
position in most of the other states. If
the women gain the right to vote there
the state will come under :'pettfcoat
rule" because the women are greatly
lin the majority in Massachusetts.
This we'll known fact is humorously
set forth in the following story, which
appears in an eastern paper and gives
some figures as to the disparity be-
tween the numbers of the sexes which
support the point we have made
though not in the same connection:
Father, 1 would like to see you in
the library on matter of business
Very well, Viola-come along. Now,
then, what is it?''
Father, YOU are aware that James
| Nooden'hammer has been paying me
his attentions for the past year,"
Yes, and I've felt like kicking himl
! The idea of a Noodenhammer daring
|
"He has asked me to be his wife?'
THE scoundrel Why, I'll maui the
tar out of him.
and l have almost promised" she
placidly continued.
What! What! My daughter marry
a Noodenhammer working for $15 a
week? Never! Go to your room while
1 seek this base adven-"
| Father, 1 want to talk straight bus
mess with YOU" she interrupted. LAS
you are aware, this is the State of
| Massachusetts"
Yes"
Have you seen the vital statistics of
the state for the last year?''
mo, of course not. The idea of that
Jim Noodenhammer skulking around
here after my
"WaitI According to the statistics
this state has 81, 240 more females than
males. There are 226S9O more mar
riageaIble girls than can find husbands.
to say nothing Of 1S2, 321 widows anx-
ious for a No. 2. The number of young
men in the state earning over SIS a
week and in the market is only 22.1O7.
There are camped on the trail of these
young men exactly 100000 young won-
en- and 100000 widows. Three out of
every five children born are girls Death
removes two young men to one mar
ried man or old bachelor"
The old man turned pale and grasped
a chair for support, and, after pause.
says a writer in the Chicago Times,
| she continued:
FROM June to October over $4,000
marriageaple young women visit our
watering places, and it is estimated
that 31.442 of them catch husbands,
THUS further reducing the chances of
a resident. Father, take this pencil
and figure on your Viola's chance OF
catching another man, if she lets
James Noodenhammer canter away
Great Scott - he gasped, after figur-
ling for moment why, your chances
are only one in 21,S75,947r'
Just as l figured it out myself
WHAT shall l say to him this evening?'
Say! Say: Why. tell him YOUR
have him and be mighty glad of the
chance, and don't let him draw a long
breath before you add that the cere.
Imony can take place right after break.
fast tomorrow morning. and that Tn
to give you a wedding present of $1,000
in cash.