The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-28
SHE RUNS FOR CONGRESS.
MRS. RICK Err SAYS nj WIZ GIVE
SULLOWAH Il HARD RACE
she IL the New Hampshire woman who Twenty
seven Years Acc started the Woman suffrage
Crusade by Attempting 60 Vote - No watt
biIuW or ynpuHuwpcrH In Hcr ~V.Dltttca.

She un the New Hampshire woman VINO twenty
seven Years Age started the woman Suar,Fe
Crusade by Attempting 60 Vote - No WATT
bling or NssEvumpcry In scr Politics.
DOVER, n. H., Nov. 26.-Ncw Hampshire has
moro politics to tho square foot than any other
New England State. At n distance It hardly
seems rs IL this was q fact, but that is because
all OF tho politics Is not on the surface. New
Hampshire abounds with surprises. Tho most
persistent and most conspicuous of late sur
prlses Is Mrs. Marilla NJ. Kicker.
Mrs. Kicker is the first woman in tho country
who ever tried to vote. That was twcnty-scvcn
years ago. She went boldly to the Scloctmcn OF
her ward and asked TO have her name put on
the voting list. The Solectmcn were paraly zed
with astonishment, but, yielding to her elo-
quence-porhaps 1t was n more show of gallah-
try on their ~part-they did rs sho requested.
Three days later. to their aggravated astonlal-
ment, Mrs. Kicker came to the polls and tried
to vote tho straight Republican ticket. Her
vote was challenged by tho Democrats. Thun
she was the pioneer OF tho woman voters. On
this act she bases all her pride, all her ambition.
When any ono essays TO bclittlc her famo she
points TO one of her books and says:
mo woman voted before that time. Now
four States, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and
Idaho, give universal suffrage to women. In
twenty. six other States there is municipal suf-
frage or school suffrage, which proves that the
world do move"
Early last summer she pctitioned the Presi.
dent to appoint her Envoy Extraordinary and
Minister Plonipotontiary to tho United States
of Colombia. At first even the serene citizens
Of this commonwealth smiled at her boldness.
Two prominent politicians forthwith announced
their opposition. Mrs. Ricker's ambition was
defeated. But that was no encouragement, So,
last week, she declared that she would contest
the eastern Congressional seat with Congress-
man Cyrus A. Sulloway of Manchester. Again
tho politicians laugh. But Mrs. Kicker is seri-
Gus. Sho AYERS that she will continue to fight
for the principle of feminine representation.
Il have always said that l expected some day
to go to Congress-" she says. The present.
time, I feel, is favorable for n direct effort to
that ond. Women are fast coming to the 'front.'
In all the walks of life. including politics. The
West Is moro progressive in this respect than
the East. In Chicago. for example. there arc
women lawyers. doctors, journalists, and drug.
gists. Those Of the last class are as apt In de-
tccting tho wink as tho men. Why should
not women go to Congress- There is no valid
reason why they should not. Mark you, tho time
is not far distant when 1t will not be possible for
men to prevent their going as representatives
of the people. Soc the States that have
granted universal suffrage, and the States
that have granted municipal suffrage.
orado. Now. isn't It a perfectly logical conse:
auence, that women sh Guild go to Congress1
holding. from them that right. All, that 10
needed is for the people to recognizs the right.
and give to women possessing qualifications an
1T is true tho West adopts more readily
n Ths w '@sas 1t co sSGnSi Rfiesr sre made nn"n u vn' largely naSs;
OF young men. who are more inclined to be Boz
OF the rich and the Conservative. 1 nave been
poking into the political wilderness for these
promised land. But am heading that way. .
"One thing is certain, l shall never find fault
T Tbat mi % Dp psr1 nv or wa rsp0 o = aoin 1T if ,b am eea ten
average woman would not wabble politically SO
much Ihan1an ns the Sni ave ri man n doe does toI ! a am sure
proclaim myself a free trader and a political Ish:
maclits, and still go on thinking that deserved
Mrs. Kicker was born in Durham 81 year.
ago. She was graduated from the lublic school
since she came to the use Of reason. II used to
to town to meet her father, although her little
brother could go as often as he Wished, She
does not remember the day when she did not
She began to teach school when she was 10.
That was about the time. too. when she began
to write about woman suffrage, When she was
23 she was married to John Kicker. a well.to-do
time, owned q large section of the present city
Ct Dover; IL died twenty.seven years ago.
California and other Western States. In 1879,
In order to perfect herself for the propagation OF
with Albert G. Riddle and Arthur B. Williams in
Washington. L. c. She was admitted to practice
before the Supreme Court of the District of Co
lumbia in 1882. She stood at the head Of her
class. in which there were eighteen men. Three
years afterward she was appointed United
States Commissioned and Examiner in Chan.
Gerry OF the District. She began the active prac-
when Chief Justice Doe decided that her appli.
cation for admission to the bar of New lIamp-
shire was absolutely legal.
After her entrance into politics in 1870 she
waited eighteen years before. attempting to
wake up women to n sense OF the political in.
Justice that they were enduring, as sho would
Say. In that year she took the stump in the
West for Gen. Harrison. Four years later
found her on the stump in eastern Massachu.
sets. in Essex county. In that campaign she
so organized n woman's Republican club in
litical articles. This Is the essence of her yiewsi
II say TO all women. Get the ballot! That 10
the first thing. Women have quite as much
interest in good government as men, and | fail
lot box. II taxation without representation was
tyranny before tho Revolution and IT is gen
orally conceded to have been one OF the great
causes Of the war-thon 1t is equal tyranny to-
day. Women are taxed under the laws. are put
into prisons and are hanged under the laws, and
they should have q voice in the making OF laws.
should have all tho rights OF citizens.
"A man said to me not long ago. The ballot
does not make men happy. rich. or respectable
| a" x,f Gns sIor reRlisd i.. i admit MSy bT no shSy s1 ISpa
know that it Is the golden gate to every oppors
tunity: and precisely the Kind OF advantage I'd
gives to one scx II would give to the other
Mrs. Kicker Is to conduct AN aggressive cnnvnsq
here. She wishes to be known as a resident Of
this city, and occasionally she votes here.