The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-07-15
THE CAUSE OF WOMAN.
., uovry DELEGATES AT THB
ny,ryT DENOCRATIC CONVENTION.

REIENA
...,o. Caused No Ceafusisa or Com
m.,t-womsn At Former
'.u,.., SCRAPS Of Sun rase-womeus wsrk
S.w Or,eans-The Men There Have Sue
"..a.d In Preventing II From Bearing Frat
An ~ the political nominating conventions
NOV been held and the Presidential can
Ia.tss have been named. In almost all OF
- bodies women have sat as delegates.
In ,he Democratic Convention the woman
..,o,s from Utah seconded the nomination
:, Ne BRYAN and received an ovation from
,,her delegates. Evidently they did not
,arsldsr tina. there was any more publicity
~ ,his act than In standing on the platform
.,d singing the star Spanglsd Banncr, which
:, ,r.ousntly done by a woman at political
.,vsn,ions Tho newspaper interviewed
80 vomen delegates and treated their opin-
,ar. on public questions with quite as much
aspect as those OF the men deieSates. NO
,ndv inouired who was taking cars OF the baby
,hIlo they were away from home. or how the
h,sband was getting his meals. or whether
.ronrh socks had been darned to last him
rn,l thsy returned. The reports all soy that
,hsv entered the convention quietly. took
,h.r seats without ostentation and voted with
,h.ir delegation as Il they always had been
.oors,omed TO IT," Doubtless It was expected
,h.t AT the first demonstration. they would
.,.nt and fsll PROSTATE In the aisles." a. the
,.nor,srs never fail to have women do when
aver there 10 any unusual excitement.
Most o., the papers have spoken OF this being
,hs "erst appearance" OF women deleg atcs
At such meetings. On tho contrary they have
.srv.d in this capacity at all Prohibition con
,sntions since that party was organized; at
ali of the Populist National conventions OK
cent perhaps, tho first. and at various Social
I,hor and similar conventions. There were
romsn delegates from Wyoming and Oregon
In tho convention in Minneapolis which nomi-
mated Harrison In 1888. During all this time
ma DIVORCES or disrupted homes on this account
have been reported. although there have been
several such occurrences from other causes.
n We are TO credit the court records through
ont tina country. The fact that even thus
early the appearances Of the woman delegate
creates scarcely . ripple OF excitement simply
Illustrates how commonplace a thing seems
after I has been accomplished. We have seen
this over and over again in every progressive
s,ap taken BY women In education. INDUSTRIES.
kc "A great outcry. all sorts Of direful prophe-
cls. a vast amount Of opposition-then . COM
pete collapse Of the whole. and the old world
logging along Just as II there hadn't been q
slight Jolt.
A. all political meetings nowadays there
are as many women present as men. 1t does
not saem to injure the women, and the char
scter Of the meetings Ger talnly has improved.
There ia an imperative need Of a reform In
these national nominating conventions. They
do not add to our credit as a people. II the
presence of a large number OF women dele
yates would introduce more dignity, self-con-
troll an d decorum in general. then 1t Is to be
hoped the number will be increased, but whether
this is done or not II Is probable that the dis
orderly methods of conducting these conven-
tons eventually will reach q climax and there
will be a reaction. This Is what usually hap
pens in the United States.
In Iowa women may vote whether there
shall be an issue OF municipal bonds for any
purpose. WHY this little shred Of franchise
was given them IA past finding out. II through
some belated sense OF Justice on the part OF
the masculine rulers. then one Is tempted to
ask why did II stop short never to 60 again,
apparently. and why must they continue to
pay State and national taxes without repre-
sentation any more than municipalp But
whatever the logic OF the situation. women
have this small vote In Iowa and they never
have failed to use II in favor OF issuing bonds
for needed improvements. At recent elections
in a lumber OF towns the propositions for new
high school buildings and more public school
houses would have been lost in every Instance
Il II mad not been for the votes OF the women.
- hA tnAAn n
situation. After casting the vote which SO,
cured these new bui lding.. not a woman could
vote for the school boards who would have
the spending q his money: who would sete ai
construction and elect the teachers 70 occupy
them. On the contrary. according TO the news,
papers Of these localities, they stood by and
carried to the polls, do the voting for these
School Directors, and yet. in order to exercise
their small privilege In regard to the. bond "
s tons re rsq SE1Hi" Of ~ men for the FULL suffrage,
and then had 10 face the same crowd at the
polls as they would have met had they been
able TO vote the complete ticket: or.r.d
II the town would guarantee s.. 700. The womsn
voted on this proposition and 1t was carried
priation at once took the matter into the courts
and the Judge has decided that the women
had no right TO vote on the question. SO OF
tunlwa Will not get the pupuc noruy'
The absurdity OF granting these scraps OF
suffrage 10 women Is often, illustrated. For
Instance. when the municipal ballot was. given
20 the women of Kansas. the friends Of pro-
hibition confidently expected to see the pro
hibitory laws OF that State enforced IN all the
towns and cities. as the. women would help TO
v,ott the police commissioners. But az the
very frst session Of the Legislature the power
=! ~e!ecting these commissioners w&s taken
away from the 2s5 cities" Of the State and
vested in the Legislature. A. the women
have no vot, for legislators. they have been
Just as much without influence In regard TO
the liquor laws, except In the very small owns.
a. they were before they had this SUI
iraga.
Another example 10 found In New Orleans,
For a generation the more progressive element
there had been trying 10 secure an approprta-
ZION TO build a much-needed system OF sew
erage. Finally in 1898 the new state Consti-
Of taxation submitted to a vote OF taxpayers,
4 once there was hope Of getting the long
desired system OF water works and sewers
Mass meetings OF women were called and ad-
dressed by leading citizens. The newspapers.
which had bitterly opposed giving this ballot
D. women. now implored them to use 1t in favor
OF the improvements. The women's clubs
OoS the matter up and made a house-to-house
canvass. Even those women who possessed
Oily a uny home were willing to be taxed Tor
"hat was so necessary for health.
ne election was held in 1880 and was car
ned oy a good majority in favor OF a new water
WORKS ana sewerage system. 1t was univer-
sL!y conceded that this was done by .womens
toteS' What was the RESULT Has New Or
edts a splendid system OF public works now
ven under way? Not at all. The Common
,ouhcll elected by a majority who preferred
IL oiu plan OF an open sewer running through
.e streets, refused to levy the necessary tax
dld they continue to refuse. No woman has
- NO'R on THAR nlNpf Inn or fhA alInhTAlF lnfill