The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-04-29

DESvEH,, Colo, April 22.-My letter
Of tho Goth from this point dealt only
with matters pertaining to tho origin
and growth OF DonSer. aud to tho ro-
sources OF the mountain wealth
Of which 1t Ia the capital. I had no
margin loft for other matters about
which | am surc your readers will ma.
turally desire TO DO informed, such, for
instance, as tho somewhat peculiar
politics OF this region owing to tho factor.
chips OF tho silver question and OF
female suffrage. No correspondence,
however brioi, from this state, would DO
complete without at loast some refor.
once to these two peculiar charactcris.
tics Of Colorado. To begin with then,
on these two points, l may observe that
| arrived hero just prior TO tho adjourn.
mont OF tho legislature, aud also iust
prior 10 tho municipal election held In
Denver on tho md OF tho month. |
had n briei opportunity OF seeing tho
legislature In session, aud also the same
kind Of an opportunity OF seeing tho
modus operandi OF female suffrage, or,
as they call 1t here. equal suffrage"
There were thrce female members OF the
lower house OF tho legislature, two OF
whom wcro from the city OF Denver and
tho other ono from tho town OF Pueblo.
Tho country districts had not INDUCED
in the novelty Of clectinG women to tho
legislature. II was the two principal
communities OF tho state that had set
the example. This was tho first session
oil the legislature in which women had
ever appeared as law. makers. aud, ma
turally, tho three women who sat in
legislators seats attracted much atten.
ton, especially from visiting strangers
like mysolt. The right to vote was
given to women last year ut least the
fall election Of '9i was tho first ono at
which they have voted in Colorado, OK
cept in school matters. The first thing
they did was to turn the Populista
down, and to deliver tho commonwealth
from the reproach and insanity OF Gov.
ernor Waite's administration, for which
performance tho world owes them
thanks. Waite, you remember, was tho
man who proposed TO ride in blood up
to the bride Of his horse in order to
deliver the country from the gold
bugs" Well. tho women voters OF Col
orado did uot fancy the picture OF an
old, white-haired man riding SO deep in
human gore as that and they concluded
to muster him out OF the public SER
vice. He entered the lecture ield somo
time after, and made m iuGlorious tiz-
zle in that sphere.
woMEs rorEas.
There ara but two states in the Union
in which women vote at all elections,
and in which they can hold any Office
in the gift Of tho people, from that OF
governor down to that Of justice OF the
peace. viz: Colorado and Wyoming.
They have set an example in this res
poet which even the great empire state
OF New York has shown lately some
disposition to follow. At least, tho
judiciary committee OF theosenate in
that state agreed upon a bill submitting
an amendment TO the constitution Civ
ing women the suffrage, and this
will, OF coursc, carry with it the right
to be voted for. With New York NOV
ing in this direction we may Gro long
expect to see other states moving in a
similar direction. It is not at all I'M
probable that women will vote IN many
OF the states in the next ten years. That
is, provided the experiment here and in
Wyoming proves satisfactory TO the
country.
Up to this time thcl:people hero do
not seem to have regretted the expert
ment, although | must say that l have
failed TO discover any special onthusi-
asm in regard toi:, those most
directly interested, the women them.
selves. The vast majority Of them seom
to have voted last fall, and also n. tho
local spring elections this year, and
thus far tho novelty has not lost its
charm, but on every hand you hear
doubt, expressed as to the outcome OF
the experiment OF female office holding,
especially as respects membership in
the legislature. Ono Of the late Nom.
ber,. a Mrs. Clock, has, since the ad-
tournament, expressed herself as much
in doubt on this point. Sho has espec.
tally intimated that tho legislature is
no place for ayoung and attractive wo.
man. Only the older aud palmer ais
ters arc secure against tho blandish.
ments OF those who have ikea 10 grind.
Just why this shonld DO the case Is not
made very apparon. by Mrs. Clock, OK
copt, that men would waste more time
attempting to win tho favor Of young
and attractive women for tho support