The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1895-12-28
4 HOLIDAY TRIBUTE.
For Saats Claus to Drop Into To
Stookings q the Women Of Idaho

. stockines Il the Wonsn q Idaho.
Written for the KErcHun KE1sross.]
In the matter of worldly intrinsic
, | am not Vanderbilt nor q Gould
nor yet am / q holder Of Crippl
Greek mining stocks; neither do
possess feet in the Camas Gold Belt
But, having spent many years Q
; my desultory life in the wilds an,
tames of our glorious Idaho, an,
wishing to show On appreciation o
the fair sex and respect for tn
sterner sex of our good State, viii
a bow to our "Esto Perpetual"
hand this gracious Tribute" t,
Santa Claus to drop in the stockin,
of every woman of Idaho, knowinl
thereby that it will also reach tn,
head Of the family:
TO BE, OR NOT TO BE?
Shall the women of Idaho b
given the right Of equal suffrage
This is question that will ente
into and become an important par
of our political campaign at tn,
next. State election. 1t cannot b.
ignored it cannot be treated flip
PANTY; and it is question too sol
emn and of too great import to b.
ridiculed. It must be met fairly
and squarely with Yes or No. A
delegate at even q county conven
ton will not be expected to shirk
the question; and a candidate Do.
fore the people will have to possess
sufficient stamina to declare beyond
doubt his convictions upon this
issue. It is one that cannot be
blanketed with tariff fogs and Mon
! roe doctrines; it cannot be waited
away in war breezes of an Alaskan
boundary; it cannot be shook of
as the ashes of a cigar. In short,
it is question that, like the new
woman. has come to stay-at least
until the voting booths are folded
up on the evening of the Sd day
of November, A. D. 1896.
Now, therefore, in view of the
great Importance attached to the
solution Of this query, let US meet
together under the roof-tree of the
KEYSTONE and in friendly manner
talk this matter over pro and con.
The usual questions propounded
the applicant for citizenship cuts
no figure in the case of the Idaho
woman, taking her in generality.
She does not need to be naturalized.
She was in the State before its or
ganization; many were born and
raised in it; she is as familiar with
its laws as are the men, and she is
fully qualified to at once enter upon
the duties of her new life. That
she has come to stay and is part
and parcel of our political organi-
cation is evidenced in the interests
she takes in the welfare Of the State
and its citizens and in her faith in
its future greatness; in the homes
she has aided in building for the
comfort and happiness of her child
rem, her husband, and herself. That
she would make good voting cit
izen is established by the good
works she has accomplished in the
past. and hence she can be trusted
in the future. She labors diligently
for the good ofothers and has the
welfare of all at heart. She may
have prejudices, tits true, but they
are prejudices against wrong, and
for right and elevated morals.
To ask if the women of Idaho
are capable of proper use of the
ballot; if she knows enough to 60
10 the polls and vote intelligently,
would be an insult to them. I'll
hey are not possessed of sufficient
qualifications to cast an honest and
intelligent vote, then may God have !
mercy on US poor, benighted male
voters. (See past history Of the
State.
The women of Idaho have labor
I'd hand in hand with tho men in
he evolution of our State. No
ask has been too great, no priva-
ions too severe that they would
shrink from if duty called. Iftheir
Individual histories were written,
what a volume of heart-aches, of
misery, of disappointments, could
'e made of it. All of them have
experienced more or less of the
bitter side of life in their efforts TO
ustain an existence and to make
ZONES out of Idaho wilds. And
lnder the darkest shadows of our
depressed silver interests these past
ears, she has struggled on uncom-
'lainingly and with a Christian for
itude known only to heroic woman.
As a finance ally, the women of
IDAHO, with the ballot, will be a
lousehold of strength. They have
Dit as much as any Of US the ef-
acts of nnscrupulous and wicked
.gislation and corrupted political
aorals, and they will stand ever
eady with good men to apply O.
emedy.
Thus, it seems, to one at least,
bat we should not hesitate tn give |