Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1895-01-22

NF'HH"NN
Nowndngu skilled oiri Jewsisrn-Amo-
iio Riros % rodny--ror lIsr Dniuty root
Easiish Ladiss In IEniossrbsohsr..
So far as tho present constitutional
convention is concerned, woman suf-
frhgo hns ooon defeated By the adoption
Of tho adverse report Of the suffrage
committee on Wednesday, bus the ad-
vocatos Of the innovation hare good rea-
son for encouragement az 20 the futuro.
for Of the votes cast more than enc
third. o. 50 out Of i55, were in their
favor. IN the last constitutional con-
vention, IN 1867, they had only fo
votes With thom, and the proposition
was treated both By tho delegates gem
orally and the great mass Of the public
a. a mere exhibition Of cccentricity on
the part Of q few impracticahlo indi-
viduals.
Really 10 was nos until this year.
and a short time only before tho nssom-
bling cc tho constitutional convention,
that any considerable part Of che wom-
On Of the state began to take enough In
terest in tho question 70 form any opin-
ion about it. Feminine sentiment re-
specting woman suffrage was undiscov-
cradle. for practically there was none
outside Of the small number Of unropre-
sentative feminine agitators. Even
women who had broken through the re-
straints which oldtime conventions put
upon the enlargement Of the sphere Of
their activities gave little thought to
the subject. They were too much occu-
pied with their struggle for social free
dom TO have time to spend in contend
ing for political privileges. The mass,
including the most intelligent, passed
The subject by with utter Indifference.
Suddenly, a few months ago. great
change occurred. The question of vom-
an suffrage began to interost women Of
the very social circles in which before
IL had always been ignored A strong
and decided feminine sentiment as to
the subject began to DO manifested. and
serious discussions Of il took place ia
quarters where once its very mention
would have provoked dorision. The nd
vooacy Of woman suffrage became even
fashionable. but It provoked correspond
ing opposition, and the division Of son
timent was sharp. Petitions ia favor Of
the measure were counteracted by peti-
tions against Il. and when the constitu-
tional convention mot the delegates
were between two fires No single prop
osition before them has excited 30 much
public interest as this Of woman euf-
frnge and their decision has been nnx-
iously awaited by many thousands Of
women in all parts Of the state who
hitherto have taken only a reflected In
terest IN political questions
The agitation for woman suffrage,
therefore, has mado great progress very
rapidly Il has not succeeded in its first
real battle, but II has demonstrated
that it is n forco powerful enough to
make its future victory probable. II not
inevitable II has made tho question q
serious question Of practical politics BY
finally arOusing feminine interest IN II
to wide extent, so that more than one.
third OF the vote In the constitutional
convention on Wednesday was favor
able to the innovation. That is as well
as tho advocates of it could have hoped
to do reasonably, considering the exist
ing division Of feminine sentiment az
to tho proposition. The result Of this
initial contest indicates that Whenever
the women OF the state generally ash
for the ballot thoy win get IT, When.
ever they agree IN wanting 70 vote, men
will glvo them tho privileges Of voting.
Now York Sun.