Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-13

people. 1t supported twelve saloons ana one
dance house and variety theater. Every sa-
loon in town was a gambling house and
gambling was carried on openly on Sunday
well as on week days. In that town, at
least, the moral influence which we are told
that women with the ballot will exert
was not perceptible. Again, / have never
seen a country in which politics were so cor
rupt as in Wyoming territory. County offices
were bought and sold openly, and beer and
whisky were freely drank by both men and
women at the candidates expense. |, myself
was witness to a bargain in which the votes
of forty women were pledged to certain
candidate for the sum of $40 At the polls
/ saw gentleman in a gentlemanly way
challenge woman's vote-he believing that
she was not old enough to vote. This woman
must certainly have thought that women
can fight as well as vote, for she turned and
struck the challenger in the face. male
friend of hers took up the fight and gen.
eral melee ensued, in which knives and pis-
tolls were freely used This is the universal
suffrage in Wyoming, as | saw it."
These facts may help some one to see that
in politics women are not all angels, any
more than men will all be gods. Now
then, so far as the experiment has been tried
in the territories, 1t does not, in my estima-
tion, commend itself to the voters of Ne
braska, and in my opinion the men of Ne
braska who consider the welfare of their
wives and bear respect for them; men who
love their daughters as much as they do their
sons, will not yield to the tempting proph-
estes of the ladies who come here to con-
vert us to the idea that universal suffrage
will confer all the blessings that humanity
Graves for the human race loud applause)
Here Miss Couzens made some remarks
about gentleman from Wyoming who re-
ports favorably on woman suffrage and
said that only the bad men out there were
opposed to it. Mr.. Rosewater, resuming,
said: To fortify what | have said about
inherent rights: There were quite a num-
Of ba
war, especially in Wisconsin, who voted
but had not been naturalized. When the
drafts came they appealed to the govern
ment on the ground that they were not
citizens. The decision was made that he
who votes must fight. Having voted they
were subject to the draft. Now suppose
woman had the ballot and you should de-
cree equality before the law" Could
there be equality II woman had all the
privileges confined by law and was exempt
from the duties and burdens because she
could not enforce law or defend the govern
ment? There can be no real equality as
long as the sexes remain unequal. Woman
is virtually exempt from jury duty in Wyo-
ming.
Miss Anthony-Let me tell you why they
are exempt.
Mr.. Rosewater-As a matter OF fact,
women do not sit on juries in Wyoming for
the same reason that cripples cannot serve
in the army. Women have served on juries
several times, but after they left their
babies at home squalling and squealing In
the care of their husbands 1t was thought
best for them to forego the pleasure-not
so much on account of their husbands as
their babies. Let us Illustrate this suffrage
problem. Suppose Miss Helen Gouger goes
back to Indiana, carries Indiana for suffrage
and Indiana confers the proud title OF
United States senator upon her Some fine
morning the newspapers may make the fol-
lowing announcement: Senator Mrs, Cougar
will be absent from her seat in the senate
for some months, owing to a nursery en-
gagement, daughter and hisses)
Suppose the senate of the United States
was equally deyided between men and
women. What would become OF the United
States senate il thlrty-eight female senators
should happen TO be in the same perdica-
ment? Is our government to depend upon
the incident OF BIRTH or, as Sara Bern
hardt said, upon these little accidents that
may occur in the best regulated family.
QaughterD
Suppose a woman was elected district
judge and she should be compelled to stay
off the bench for several months, what
would become of the criminals held for
trial In our jalls? Would that be dlspens-
ing Justice? 1t is no use to ignore the
natual laws. Woman are liable to be
mothers, and for that very reason govern
ments were instituted by men and upheld
by men.
WOMAN'S WEAKNESS.
Ever since Eve tempted Adam with for
hidden fruit women have been craving for
things they cannot get. TaIe Masonry
for instance There Is hardly a woman In
this house that would not give a good part
OF her life II she could look into a lodge
over the transom or through tho key hole
She would be willing to ride the goat In
the state OF Eve after she donned the hg
leaf 10 participate In the rites. laughter)