Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1900-05-18
SUFFRAGISTS TAKE ACTION.


the Both annual meeting of the ex-
ecutive committee of the Oregon State
Equal Suffrage association, held yester-
day at 294 Clay street, Portland, # was
voted to ask the assistance of the press
in circulating the following official doc
ument:
AN OPEN LETTER.
To'the Voters of All Political Parties of
the State of Oregon, and to You, Sir,
Greeting:
The many adherents. of the equal
suffrage movement, for which consti-
tutional amendment is now pending,
have held their peace for many months,
lest they might embarrass you in some
way concerning the partisan and per-
sonal conflicts in which you have been
striving with each other for the mastery.
But, now that your nominations are all
made, and your plans adjusted for YOUR
various campaigns, we desire to place
before you our plea for our own enfran-
ehisement. We feel that you cannot
justly or honestly deprive us of cur
voice in the administration of the affairs
of the government, since we are taxed
to maintain its laws, to which, equally
with yourselves, we are held amenable.
As we provide for the government all its
soldiers at the risk of our lives; and.
when you call our sons to battle, we bid
them God speed, even though our hearts
be breaking, we surely perform duties
equal with yours in the maintenance of
government.
In respectfully demanding your affirm
ative votes upon question we are not
permitted to decide for ourselves, we
are not asking for the adoption of any
partisan issue, nor Of any untried ex-
pertinent. Directly to the east of us
are four sovereign states in which the
women are enjoying the free use of the
ballot. The citizens of Wyoming, the
pioneer state of this great movement,
have from time to time during the past
thirty years, announced, over their own
signatures, through her press, her legis-
latures, her governors, senator's, clergy
men, judges, representatives and chief
educators, that good, and only good, has
accrued to the people and the state from
the. cnfranchisement of women. They
have often publicly challenged the anon
ymous writers from other states, who
have misrepresented the facts, to find
two men or women in all Wyoming who
Will assert, over their own names and
q tresses, that equal suffrage has pro-
duced any bad results. 1t is needless to
say that no such opponent has yet re-
sponded. Governor Campbell, who was
In Office when the law was passed, in
1869, said, in his message to the legisla-
ture, two years later: ''It is simple
justice to say that the women, entering
for the first time upon their new and
untrled duties, have conducted them
selves in every respect with as much
tact, sound judgment and good sense as
men," Similar testimony has come,
unsolicited, from each succeeding gov
ernor of Wyoming, and from all the
highest officials and educators of both
sexes and all parties.
The very leading men and women of
Colorado, another state where women
vote, have issued circulars, saying: "We
believe the greatest good to the home,
the state and the nation is best advanced
through the operation of woman suf-
frage. The evils predicted have not
come to pass. The benefits claimed for
1T have been secured, or are in process
OF development. A very large proper
tion of Colorado women have conscien-
tiously accepted their responsibility as
citizens" This statement was made in
1896 in answer to the misstatements of
an anonymous "anti," correspondent
of the eastern press, and was signed by
the governor, ex-governor, governor
elect, United States senators and ex-
senators, representatives and ex-repre-
sentativee in congress, the chief justice
and associate justices of the supreme
court, the presidents of colleges and
universities, the presidents of woman's
clubs, the heads of educational, relig-
ious and philanthropic institutions, and
by leading society women throughout
the state.
From Idaho, where women have been
voters since 1896, have come to us many
testimonials, also unsolicited, highly in
dorsing the movement, signed by men
and women of unimpeachable integrity
and standing, among whom are Chief
Justice l. N, Sullivan, Associate Jus
tices Huston and Quarles, II. +. Neil
roy of the State Normal school. VIM.