The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-24
THE CAUSE OF WOMEN.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN As AN ADVOCATE
OF WOMAN SUFFRAGE

Con Irving Hale. said TO DO tho youngest Gen
eral In tho army has returned 10 his home In Den
yer. after moro than years hard service in the
Philippines He took active part in the sue
ccsaful effort 70 secure equal suffrage for the
mon Of Colorado A writer in the Denver Daily
Ne,os now recalls this fact and says Of him:
Ono OF his distinguishing characteristics was
an intense love Of Justice and fair play. This was
illustrated when the suffrage campaign Of 90
was on. He quietly entered the headquarters Of
tho Colorado State Suffrage Association one day.
over In the Opera House Block, and quito unso-
lcitcd. announced that he was ready to take dates
whenever the committee wished to assign him TO
speak for the cause In Denver and vicinity. He
was most efficient helper throughout the cam
paign-
Patriotic Nugeets- q little book lately pub
1ishod,, containing selections from tho words Of
prominent American statesmen includes q letter
from Abraham Lincoln which will be a surprise
70 most readera Few persons are aware that
Lincoln publicly advocated woman suffrage
sixty-throe yoars ago, twelve years before tho
holding Of the first woman's rights convention.
His letter Is dated from New Salem. III, Juno Is,
1885. and lie worth quoting in full:
ITO THE EDITOR OF THE JOURNAL:
Tn your paper OF last Saturday I see q com.
munication over the signature of Many Voters,
In which the candidates who are announced In
the Journal arc called upon TO show their ha nds
Agreed. Here's mine
Il 60 for all sharing the privileges OF tho Gov
eminent who assist In bearing It's burdens conse-
quently, go for admitting all whites to tho right
OF suffrage who pay taxes or bear arms by no
means excluding females
III elected. shall consider the whole people
Of Sangamon my constituents, as well those that
oppose as those that supper, me
ABRAHAM LINCOLN"
Thrco letters lately received from tho West
give the views Of three women living. two in small
villages tho other in large city
Mrs Alice Randall President Of the New Con-
fury Club Of Monzanola, writes:
My point Of view may be Of interest. repre-
scnting the conditions in very small town and
its environs At the election last fall, heard
of only two women who did not vote Tho men
seem to DO just as respectful and Just good
husbands hero elsewhere. Political questions
arc oftener discussed in general society. and the
opinion OF the women seems to carry moro weight
when there is a vote behind IT, In local poll
tics, equal suffrage certainly makes difference
For instance, we had very poor school last year.
and this spring the politicians, who wanted to
run the school cheap nominated tho village
blacksmith for school trustee as he was willing
TO DO shaped by them Had II not been for
tho women, he would have been victorious in
stead Of q college graduate Of fine attachments.
"On election day. II was interesting to watch
tho line Of farm wagons around tho polls in which
were seated whole families out for q holiday
Either the father OF the older children would
hold tho baby while tho mother voted. Tho
farmers wives vote almost without exception
Several have told me that 1t had opened their
i
thoughts beyond their daily toll. These farmers
wives have often had better educational advan-
tages than their husbands. No one, believe,
regrets tho privilege given her In every COM
munity. tho good outnumber the bad. and tho
influence Of good women will far outreach the
influence Of tho baser element"
Miss Minnie J. Reynolds. President Of tho
Denver woman's Press Club writes:
You ask whether the bad and ignorant
women vote moro generally than the good and
Intelligent suppose you rotor to fallen women
Their vote 10 supposed to influence the result in
two out of the fifteen districts Of the city of Denver
They arc not found In sufficient numbers in any
other locality in the State to affect results Aside
from tho fallen women. Il would DO difficult to
separate any class Of our women as bad or
Ignorant Some OF our best informed women
are tho wives OF men in very humble circum-
stances perhaps working men They have
turned to politics as the source Of now interest
in their lives, and have been constantly inform
ing themselves since they obtained the ballot.
Among the leisure class. the club women are gen
orally moro interested in politics than others
Equal suffrage has most decidedly not in
creased corruption in politics l believe that
any impartial and well-informed observer would
admit that political conditions have been better
and cleaner during the present and the last ad-
.,,,;. thap tIa Ir,,i,,