The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-11
Women I'm Politics.


Denver who is talking rudely against the
ladies'. Il voted for woman suffrage" say.
the Rev. W. o. Ryan, of st. Leo's Catho.
lie Church, when it was presented to US
but now l feel that I ought to throw &
white sheet about myself, stand in from
Of the church door and do penance for it
1t is working harm to the women of this
State. l have been shocked to see them
engage In political work as they have
done. They are losing their womanhood
through IT,"
We respectfully refer the Rev. Father
| RYAN to the recent experience Of a male
| statesman in Wyoming-there are now in
some Of the Western States female as well
as male statesmen. In Wyoming the Hon.
John Charles Thompson ran for Congress
rs the Democratic candidate. Exultant
in his strength. Thompson strobe forth
into the campaign on the platform that
the woman vote is the easiest thing to
get, the easiest thing to keep, and the
easiest thing to manipulate of any element
in politics." This statement was issued
in a circular by the National Association
of Woman Suffragists and scattered over
Wyoming by the hundred thousand. So
bitter was the feeling excited among the
women against Thompson that it is re-
election day and voted solidly against
him. The result was that his opponent,
the Hon. Frank Wheeler Mondell-about
the hsndsomest statesman in the country,
by the way-was elected by an overwhelm-
ing majority. Mondell ran ahead Of his
ticket by eight hundred votes. The feel
ing against Thompson, we are told, ex-
tended to the entire Democratic ticket,
and fully two-thirds of the women in Wy
oming voted for Mckinley as we'll as for
Mondell.
This little lesson should teach the Rev.
Father Ryan. as it should teach all other
men. that lovely woman is just as much
of buzz-saw In politics as she is in 9TH
er spheres whose orbits cross the orbits
of the male persons spheres. II the Hon.
John Charles Thompson had not given
way TO the most common and the greatest
weakness Of his sex-to wit, boastfulness-
Wyoming might have been held in the
column, for be 1t remember
ed that Thompsons foolish talk arrayed
the ladies' nearly solidly against all Demo-
cratic candidates and all Democratic theo-
ries and principles Of government. We do
not pretend to know what he should have
said to or about the ladies in order to get
their votes for himself and the cause Of
government. All We do pretend
to know is that Thompson made most
grievous mistake-one from which neither |
he nor his party probably will recover in
Wyoming for generations to come
1t might have been better for him to |
have said nothing at all about the ladies.
1t appears that his successful opponent !
pursued policy of silence toward them.
And still it is not impossible that II the
next candidate for office In Wyoming
should pursue this policy of silence he
would be defeated even worse than the
,oastful Thompson.
To summarize, We do not know what
advice to give on this important question.
With US now as voters in four States, and
here is no telling but that in all the
States of the Union they may soon have
the right to vote. Then all the Thomp-
IONS must go to the rear, as well as all
he Father Ryans.