The record-union., 1897-03-08

mary, and so measure of power in IT.
Otherwise she may talk about the SAD
condition cf politics, and woman's mis-
sion in regard to it all she pleases, put
her zeal will convince nobody. The only
way to do a thing is to do it; ana our
primaries held as they are in unat-
tractive places and attended chiefly by
minor politicians, ward workers and
lower class voters, hold the key OF
power, if woman is determined to have
it. From the primary, if she controls
proportionate following, the woman
who desires power in politics may send
her delegate to a county or State con-
vention or go herself if she so desires.
She will also become somewhat OF a
power among the voters of her Ward,
and her suggestions will have weight
with the district leaders-also provided
that she can hold her group of voters
together and be sure of their combined
vote whenever she wishes to cast II
anywhere OF course there may be
nothing unworthy or interested in her
| efforts, and her power may be USED
uniformly for good; yet necessarily ner
association with these lower elements
! of politics will be often unpleasant and
sometimes unsuccessful; it will take
much time and leave her little thought
| for other outside duties. She will prob
ably also learn the give and take OF
| politics-to yield here that she may
| gain thereto be all things to all men
| in order to advance her especial re-
| form or f. vOrite candidate. Would II
! be too much to say that an absolutely
disinterestod and sincere woman would
soon give up politics in disgust, ana
| that no more fatal school could De
| found for woman who was not thor
Oughlv sincere? Certainly the honest
reluctance that most men feel toward
| throwing politics open to women IS
partly due TO their feeling that 1t is no
fit sphere for her higher qualities ana
too strong a temptation to her weak
neSses
When we consider how men treat pol
itics, we are amazed to see how lew
consent to enter them actively. II takes
So much time. Even the lawyer VINO
becomes a politician (ard this is most
| in line with a lawyers life) neglects MS
profession inevitably, and must seek an
office to repair his loss of income. Men
cannot afford to follow politics, IN tact'
without a sufficient income of their own
o., without a salaried office as sup
mort. 1t is not to be supposed that many
women would desire to hold office, but
shou1d they be women with homes, or
women who support themselves and
others. how can they spare time con-
stantly and increasingly, without re-
to
as voters. women as delegates and Wo-
men as leaders, We shall certainly nave
women as Office-holders. That Woulu
mean. as one thoughtful observer "a
woman. too) once said, a premium
unon childIess women She might
have said. "a premium upon homeless
women" for certainly an otflce-hoidlhg
woman. be she mother, wife or sister,
cannot snare time to make a true home.
# fs not that a woman could not hold
anv office well. or administer it faith
ruIlv and economically. but offlce-hoid-
irg by universal consent is agreed 10 De
precarious and a demoralizlng occupa-
ton. IT leads to ofiice-seeking ana 10
undue desire for the spOils OF o1hce
and is certainly not an opportunity
h1It rather q danger for women.
"Rut." someone says, what nom
eausel We don't expect a Woman
Marty. a woman running for President;
women Senators or Representatives;
wo1nen. speaking on the stump; women
in the Legislature; women Mayor or
Judges. We only mean to go and vote
on the right side that is all. We eX-
Dect no extra work, but only a bench
through our unorganized efforts" The
reply to this is. as one clever frleno
remarked the other day, that IF Wo-
men simply go and cast their votes
with the men, equal suffrage means no
more than adding one quart OF muddy
water to another quart or muddy
water: you get two quarts, but 1t is
lust the same kind Of Water! If man
lived up to the responsibilities OF uni
yersal suffrage there would be no need
of woman's coming 10 the rescue, as
she is now eager to do, and if she does
no more than cast her vote, she brings
10 rescue, but only an added danger
After nearly twenty-five years of Wo-
man suffrage in Wyoming. General
Thompson. who managed the Demo-
cratic campaign there in 1872, said:
The women's vote is the easiest thing
in the world to get. and the easiest to
keep. and the easiest to manipulate, of
any element in politics" AS to the
contention that equal suffrage does not
involve ofice-holding for women. the
fact that Colorado. in only three years
Of it, has had. from the first, several
women in her legislature, and lately
woman was running for Lieutenant
Governor. and another for State Treas
Urer. is significant.
No, if woman really means to reform
politics, she must be willing to work at
reform as painstakingly as she now tolls
E1t5ca-rIaay ming