The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-03-25
Woman Suffrage in Colorado.

The following letter, written by an
exceedingly well-informed lady of Col.
orado, who was asked for her Onion
as to the results Of woman suffrage in
that state, may be Of value to those Of
our readers who have taken ar inter
est, for or against, the woman suf-
frage movement III this state:
If you knew how extremely political
this woman was, you would scarcely care
for her opinion in regard to any phase OF the
political situations yet she has some feelings
on the subject-that is the test which d
woman applies to everything.
Firstly, then, il is too soon as yet to affirm
that woman suffrage is either success or a
failure in our state 1t is still an expert
ment. If women in other parts of the coun-
try would wait to see what results may fol-
low here in Colorado, instead of claiming
suffrage because Colorado women have it,
the course would seem wiser to a conserva-
tive.
Secondly, it is certainly true that some
women who took an active part in politics a
year or more ago cannot to-day be dragged
into any political activity. They treat the
whole matter not only with indifference, but
as the Frenchman would put it, with one
grand despise" Yet these same women, if
any moral issue should arise, would with all
good men, spring to meet the emergency
So, however, would all good men.
Thirdly, il is probably true that there is a
larger Indifferent vote polled in our state
now than before the extension of suffrage.
The majority of women are not by nature
or opportunities political. The few who
are assertive, and perhaps annoying to men,
would be assertive and disagreeable without
the ballot. That only makes it possible for
men to experience the annoyance. The
ptrr1f to Nvnta hnn oh.
nature of women.
Fourthly, there is a large class of women
who did not desire the ballot in the first
place. Head, hands and heart were suf-
ficiently occupied by other things to make
life seem we'll worth living without it,
10 them suffrage came as an additional
burden. The endeavor to keep up" in
the intense race was enough Of itself to
afford occupation to all their powers.
American women have been crying for
years mo time" and 80 much to do! "
The most OF these women are conscien-
tious. They have gone to the polls regu-
larly; they have voted according to in
structions received either from their hus-
bands or u less reliable source. They have
come away every time with an appalling
sense of their own ignorance concerning
matters and the people of whom they have
dared express an opinion, and they have
wondered how they could learn without
paying the full price for such knowledge.
Voting time will come again soon. These
women will go to the polls again, vote as
ignorantly as before, and come away with
an additional sense OF defeat-because of a
lack of knowledge of the situation, and the
lack of opportunity or desire to become in
formed. Probably there is larger igno-
rant or non intelligent vote polled in Col
orado to-day than formerly.
We think no one will read the above
letter without realizing that the woman
who wrote 1t possesses, in an eXcep-
tlonal degree, those qualities of consci-
entlousness and intelligence which il
has been assumed the participation OF
women in political life would add tC
the voting strength of our country. Il
must be obvious to the pronounced
friends of female suffrage that The CO.
operation of the "dolls aud Ounces
among womankind would not bette
political matters any more than tht
pa ticipation of tie fools and rGscal
who are found in the male sex. VIVA
is wanted in either case is wisdom
combined with the feeling of persona
responsibility, ana these are what thit
Colorado woman voter u questionable
has. And yet, as she points out, tn,
problem is one which is serious anC
trying one. The greater part of Tho
women OF her class feel THAI thew are
making themselves responsible fol
principles and proceedings which they
do not comprehend, and may never
know until it il too late TO correct he
faults that arise from their own unin
formed action.
More than this, many of those who's,