The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-07-29
WOMAN SUFHRAGE.
A Colorado woman 70. Fauls-Finder..

10 THH EDITOR OF THR SUN-Sr An arti-
ole In the Bosto~ Transcript. by Mr. John Cotton
Dana. ID . shining example Of the faint praise
that dawns when mingled with condemnation
Mr.. Dana means 10 be fair: he even means to be
more than lair in his criticism on the working
Of woman suffrage In Colorado. He belongs to
the school q the Flagelants and believes that
the way TO max" people achieve great things Is
by b~elittling what they have done. Surprising
we admit the truth Of every contention he
makes-no argument against equal suffrage
that Ia not q better argument against male suf-
frage. He begins with this somewhat dogmatio
assertion:
If the women Of Colorado were to-day given
an opportunity. without distraction from part-
san politics, TO express their wishes on the sub
ject Of woman suffrage they would probably
vote to abolish 1t. But his does not warrant
the conclu- ion that woman suffrage is a failure;
and It Is not an argumen OF much value against
the adoption Of the same measure elsewh' re.
1t Ia dmply an indication that Colorado women
have found that a State d not made wise and
good and happy simply by an extension Of the
franchise 10 another large section Of its popula-
ton; that to accomplish much with voting re-
Quire' knowledge Of affairs and a wish to
improve them back o the mere casting Of q
ballot; that dded power docs rot Of necessity
imply added keenness Of the sense Of RESPONSE
bility; that politics is business, and to-day. in
Colorado At least. business not altogether pleas
ant to most people"
II It were true that Colorado women would
relinouish the ballot, it seems to this writer. at
least, hat II would be an argument against
suffrage OF more force than any yet offered;
but having been . Colorado woman for four
- .- -A-s... A. -u--
the women who take little or no interest in poll
tio' would be unwilling to give up the fran
ch!se. Few peop le who are in their right minds
voluntarily resign power that they. possess.
The ave age man VII usually admit that u re-
use It ut all. or be very clumsy il he does. II is
the ugly possibilities OF the thing that scare the
burglar.
IN the latter part of the paragraph and imagine
that Kipling or Goodwin Smith had written them
about the American people In general! Suppose
we say: Americans have found that "A country
IL not made wise and good and happy by the
franchise, that to accomplish much with voting
requires a knowledge OF affairs and n wish to
day in the Gn, tie States bushes 7 not p"G alto
ling or Nj Smith should say that could We
When two men under indictment sat In the
Republican Convention June 10. and another
man who ought to be was welcomed with open
eTlu, ny TIC DeHlOcTaI4 July . wien no one
was more tumul tuously applauded A. at philadel-
phia than Matt Quay. and no one received more
calls at Kansas City than Richard Croo er, can
we hope to substantiate a claim that politics il
altogether pleasant TO most people,
When Mr., J. Z. Dana recount tho history OF
the suffrage movement in Colorado. he falls in
to one or two uninte 'tionsl errors. He says:
Colorado reached the hirh-water mark Of It's
boom times In 1890. BY 1903 the business de-
reAsion had become very great, there had
especially real estate had much depreeiated.
During the year 1893 nea rly every bank in Dem
yer suspended, and more than half OF them III
earnest advocate Of woman suffrage. ~fancIed he
saw In this period Of depression a good OF por-
tunity OF securing the a!opton Of his. fayorite
reform. He drafted the bill abovr referred 20.
lature. carefully watched its interests. and Was
largely instrumental In securing, Its passage.
hs ne p fhnt ibs b TI 'h Ma Sa,e Nv
more by Indifference than by favor. lew
thought the measure would receive at the hands
OF Sa,n ,ss b peG ~ pr sSs osnsr in 5e ss7gWa y tnan d s9as
to | against IL On the other hand Il should
be noted that Colorado at this period was ex-
' The h%isR-water mark Of boom times came
later tina 1890. There was no depression at the
time OF the election OF 1892, The LAWYER VINO
drew me bll Tor the women; ); Werner Mills,
amendment wa not required. and he believed
that a county CAM align would be a better
%GIS5 iSsts Y, S. pr ms4s , tss, measure lns' II i ,hi true snf tb in
Bill Sii,f past' 1 the LEGISLATURE b. Populist Votes
and was signed by, a Populist. Governor. But
bank had failed. not 4 frm had gone ,ans under at
that time. As to t e Indifference alleged. there
were four other bills granting municipal or full
that In no way emanated from the sufiragists
The crash Of '9S undoubtedly helped the
women to. carry the measure. The spartan
heroism with which they bore tn awful present
and looked forward TO the terrible winter won
them a higher place In the mines OF men. Men
and women stood shoulder to shoulder. The
wife bread gave her the ballot, He said grimly |
az times that 1t hadn't done him much good, |
bu, she was welcome 10 it II she wanted 1t.
'Of the efforts OF women suffrage In matters |
sanitary. social. in,ersexual and
the like little can be said" says our critic.
True; but let US hear that little; straws are
school suffrage. For the last ten
years they have taken an interest In 'chool al |
fairs. They ran kindergarten by subscriptions
School Board. That fall they enfranchised
themselves; that winter. or the ensuing spring, |
the kindersartens became q part OF the public
high school in Denver. but only women voters
could have gotten it IN the face Of the oppose
ton TO be met from those who have always
bitterly resented any interest In school matters
Eight year ago there were large storas In i
Denver that were sanitarily indecent: there are
the employment OF children under IL
was a dead letter. II ID rarely in ringed now, |
Six years since employers learned for the first
time that there was a law passed by the efforts
Of the W. G, L. U. years before compelling
them TO provide seats for their employees: and
the seats are put In, The employs had be-
a political as well as an economic unit.
In answer to the question. Has woman's
vote raised the tone OF poliucsr' the poll
tician" says:
THE reform wave Of a few years ago has
nearly, spent Its STRENGTH; The Australian bal
beat. Tickets are substituted and counted for
those actually voted. The judges agree to-
TO take away and destroy such ballots az
they see at and substitute others, II one OF the
Judges is opposed to this they dope him, or get
drunk. or get a woman TO call him away.
or make some excuse to shut him up"
Apparently 1t Is the opinion in some directions
that all polling places are located In the slums,
md that judges, c~hallengers, CLERKS and
watcher, universally belong 70 the hoodlum
here are at least four tickets In the f Id In
BY this politician" twho, BY the way. would
nave n hard timein carrying his own primary by
The means he suggests would be absolutely i'm
of the city. We vote where We live. We
meet our own neiRhbors. They are the judges
and watchers. Saloon are shut up on election
lay. II the Judge Is "doped 1t must be the
before. Then. too, an election is held be-
ore the polls are open. and whichever parry has
)ust imagine a Democratic Judge doping a Re-
judge In Brooklyn or Harlem while the
o.erk and watcher and challenger
supinely by and let him do II!
Ia We been venal, pleased with a rattle. tickled
With q strH w." that Of course Ia only the per.