The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1900-05-25
An Omen Letter.

At the thirteenth annual meeting OF
the executive committee of the Oregon
Equal Suffrage Association, held in
Portland on May l4th, the following
circular was issued, and the same is
published by request:
TO the voters af all political parties of
the state of Oregon, and to you, Sir, greet
ing: The many adherents Of the equal
suffrage movement for which constitu-
tional amendment is now pending, have
held their peace for many months, lest
they might embarass you concerning
the partisan and personal conflicts in
which you have been striving with en- ch
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 enfranchisement
We feel that you cannot justly, or
honestly deprive us of our voice in the
administration of the affairs of the
government, since we are taxed to main
tain its laws, to which, equal with your
selves, we are held amenable. AS we
provide for the government all its SOL
diers at the risk of our lives; and, when
you call our sons to battle, we bid them
God-speed even though our hearts are
breaking, we surely perform duties
equal with yours in the maintenance Of
government.
In respectfully demanding your af-
firmative 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 80 years,
announced over their own signatures,
through her press, her legislature, her
clergymen, Judges, representatives and
chief educators, that good and only good
has accrued to the people and the state
from the enfranehisemen of women,
They have often publicly challenged the
anonymous writers from other states,
who have misrepresented the facts, tc
find two men or women, in all Wyoming
who will assert over their own names
and addresses, that equal suffrage has
produced any bad results. 1t Is need.
less to say thrt no such opponent has
yotappeared.
The very leading men and women OF
Colorado, another state where women
vote, have issued circulars, saving" awe
believe the gratest good to the home
the state and the nation is best adyan.
ced through the operation of women
suffrage. The evils predicted have not
come to pass. The benefits claimed for
it have been secured or are in process
of development. A very large portion
of Colorado women have conscientiously
accepted their responsibility as citizens,
From Idahos where women have been
voters since 1896, have come to US many
testimonials, also unsolicited, highly en-.
dorsing the movement, signed by men
and women Of naimpeaehable integrity
and standing.
Everybody knows that the enfran-
chisement of the women of all the states
is coming, that it is inevitable. Oregon
today is the only state where an equal
suffrage amendment is pending. She,
and she alone, is in position to lead
tie van Of progress in this important