The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1897-04-03

western states, unrestricted female
suffrage prevails within the limits of
manhood suffrage, and as result
women have become an important
political factor in those states, almost
doubling their total vote. The oc-
currence is familiar that took place
in Salt Lake City, where at the No
vember election a woman running
ON the Democratic ticket beat her
divorced husband for state senator,
he being candidate on the Repub
lean ticket. From all accounts the
woman is the better of the two, as
she is practicing physician, while
her ex-husband is Mormon elder.
An occurrence at Denver week
ago illustrates the advanced woman
in politics. There was conven-
ton of the middle-of the-road Popu-
lists, and many of the delegates were
women, and were in the thick of the
factional battles. The first assault
was provoked by woman, who
charged that certain delegates were
the hirelings of corporations. Giving
her remark personal application,
the accused masculine responded
that she was liar. The husband
flew at the man, while the wife and
her female companion cheered the
fighters. The most exciting episode
of the meeting was inaugurated by
a Mrs Reed, who inquired of Mr.
Akers if it was not time for him to
go out and choke himself to death"
This manly action on the part of
Mrs. Reed provoked a retort from
Mr.. Akers which the ladies consid
cred insulting. Miss Holmes wanted
to know why the men stood by and
saw the women insulted, but as no
one responded, Mrs. Reed and Miss
Holmes went at Mr.. Akers and sue
eeeded in tearing most of his beard
out.
This would seem to be lesson as
to the practical results of women in
politics; but more elaborate dis
QUESTION ON the subject is contained
in tract issued by the Massachu-
sets association opposed to woman's
suffrage, entitled ''rested by its
Fruits" 1t makes strong points,
even if we eoncede that there has
been no such test of womans suf-
frage as to afford basis for just or
final conclusions.
The first point made by the Mas
sachusetts tract is that the suffrage
proposition demands that the re-
sponsibilities of the ballot shall be
imposed on all women because some
women want to vote. The so-called
referendum of the question of munic
ipal suffrage for women in Massa-
chusetts in 1895 resulted in the ex-
preston of desire for the ballot on
the part OF 22,204 women in the
whole state, out of $4,000 entitled
to vote. This is under per cent.
Where woman's suffrage has been
tried on large scale, as recently in
South Australia when the vote was
nearly doubled in the election of
1896 for members of parliament, the
only apparent results were the intro
duction of afternoon teas and similar
social functions as "A part of the cleo
pioneering machinery, and somewhat
better order and less smoking at the
polls. There is no evidence, it is
urged, that in the 20 or more states
in the Union where women are allow
| ed to vote for school officers the con-
dition of the school is relatively bet
ter than in states where women are
not allowed to vote, or that it is bet
| ter in these states than before WON
en- had the ballot. The privilege
Of voting is not generally exercised
by women when they have the right.
In Boston in 1887, only 725 women
voted at the school elections; in 1883
there were 19,400; in 1889 the num-
Der dropped to 10,05l. The conclu
sion is that the vote of women at
school elections is not a consistent
element, but IA fuctuating and I'M
certain influence, aroused to capri
eious demonstration by appeals to
class or religious antipathies, but
otherwise ordinarily dormant
The tract, not content with merely |
negative testimony, makes an exam
ination of conditions in Wyoming,
where woman's suffrage has prevail |
ed for thirty years, with the view of
ascertaining how far the influence of
their sex in politics there has elevat- |
ed public morals or purified the laws.
They find that in Wyoming the
laws provide for licensing the liquor
traffic for fees ranging from $500 |
annually down to 81 annually, and |
that the restrictions upon the rum
dealers are far less stringent than |
the average of those in force in other
states. Looking at the divorce laws
they find III cases of divorce speci-
fed, and residence of only six
months required. They find gam
bling legalized and promoted in Wy
oming as it is scarcely anywhere else
in the Union, showing that "the
women of Wyoming are not afflicted
with narrow prejudices on this sub
ject." On the payment Of $3.50 a
quarter to the sheriff, anyone in Wy
oming, man or woman, may carry on
''any banking game played with
cards, dice or any other device" 1t
is also shown that in Wyoming com
mnnities are prohibited by law from
interfering with the state license of
gambling. The homicide laws are
also liberalized beyond anything at
tempted in eastern states, by the def
milton given to excusable homicide.
These are facts going to show con-
ditions that exist or have grown up
in state where women have had the
right to vote for 30 years. The Mas
sachusetts women opposed to the
extension of suffrage to their sex re-
mark sarcastically that in all this
"they fail to recognize the gentle
and humanizing influence of wo-