The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-11-22
DO WOMEN TAKE AN INTEREST
IN PoLITICsf
10 me Editor az he Prcssi

70 the Editor Of the PrcsG
Previous TO our last general election,
nearly svery paper In the United States
published a statsmsnt to the effect that
the women In the western states took
very little interest In politics, and not
over 50 per cent OF them would go to the
polls and cast their ballot. Now that
election Is past, we have an opportunity
of Judging OF the truthfuiness OF these
statements. While we have nos reesiveu
the official count which has been KEPT
the newspapers are unanimous In pro-
claiming the great interest taken py
women and the large proportion Of them
who voted.
The Colorado Springs Gazette said just
before election Of the interest taken BY
women:
or Is NOT often In n political campaign
that the party managers can nave tne al
iunct of an efficient woman's orRanizh-
tlon. Neither do the beniRnsed people o.
the East understand the vain OF sucn
help when n battle for good government
is being waged. If they did, woman sui
rage would exist In every state In the
Union.
"Coiorado has been fortunate In the
exerciss OF the elective franchise by the
women, since IL was conferred unon them
In 1898 Whenever and wherever they
have acted unitsdly TO better political
conditions, they have succeeded In
manner 20 put the men to shame IN sne
completeness and efficiency of their work.
"And such work Is not degrading them
either, but on the contrary, their infin-
ence is lifting the state campaign far
above the average OF similar campaigns
before suffrsge was granted"
United States Senator E. o. Woloott OF
Denver, the defeated Republican oandi-
date for re-elsction. says OF the Republi-
can gains in the election and the part
taken by the women:
"Our gains have been tremendous, and
the Republican vote In every county IN
the state 10 most iiattering. The credit
Of this Is largely due to the women oil
Colorado aud especially OF Arapahoe
county who, with perfect Organization
and al noere devotion 20 the principles OF
the party, worked increasingly to bring
about this result"
Mrs. A. L.. WEIGH, vice-president
woman's Republican Letague. in reply to
an inquiry regarding the truthfulness OF
the statements that were going tbs rounds
that not over 80 per cent OF the women
would avail themselves OF their oppor-
tunity to cast ballot at the coming cleo
ton writes. +.
81 am very glad that am In position
to refute some statements about woman
suffrage In Colorado, have been ac-
lively engaged In the campaign from
beginning to END. Two years ago few
women organized the woman's Repub-
ncan League. This fall we reorganized
under the name of "The woman's Rs-
publican League of Colorado" We have
over one thousand workers In this league
from the ranks of the best and most rep
resentative women OF Denver. Also or
carnations from almost every town In
the state. The Junior League Of Dem
yer is composed Of young married ladies
and first voters, and Is largely made up
Of leading society people.
II can speak with authority ABOUT
these matters, for the reason that as vice
president Of the League l was given
charge OF the work of organization In
Denver and many other places in the
state.
"Denyer was organized in this manner.
Each district had a chairman Ia woman
OF iniiuencel, each precinct had a chair
man who had q house to house canvass
made TO be certain that all Repu biican
women were registered. Certain women
were delegated to look after Indifferent
voters on election day
s'The Democratic women had q good,
strong organization of the best women In
that party, and whoever says that the
women OF Colorado have little interest in
the ballot makes a false statement. There
are indifferent women in the state. just
as there are Indifferent men, but they
belong to the minority"
From Wyoming comes word that the
women OF that state exercised the right OF
suffrage 30 greater extent et the reosnt
election than ever before, although 1t was
claimed In this statement sent out before
election that as soon as the novelty wore
on women did not care for the ballot,
One would suppose that the novelty
would have worn off in 81 years, the
length OF time women have be5n voting
In Wyoming.
1t Is also going the rounds in the
newspapers that the Democratic candi
date for Congress, John Charles Thomp-
son of Cheyenne, was defeated by the
women because he had written the New
York Anti-Suffrags Association u letter
In which the statement was made 1.-THE
woman's vote is the easiest thing TO get,
the easiest thing to keep and the easiest
thing to manipulate OF any element in
politics" A month ago, when Mr..
Thompson heard OF this statement that
was said to have been made by the New
York Anti-Suffragists, he tried to undo
the harm that had already come TO him
through 1t by publishing refutation In
which he said:
~ brand this statement as an unquaii-
fed faIsehood. / never heard OF or had
any communication with any Anti-Sutf-
rage association in any way, at any time,
anywhere IN my life.
"a When the election was being held for
the constitutional convention, and dis
anguished Republicans were scouting the
idea or woman suffrage being engrafted
In the constitution, / published the first
extended argument in the Cheyenne
Tribune, insisting upon its being en-
bodied in the constitution that 1t might
be perpetuated as the organic law OF the
state. My opinion has new ar varied as to
It's value. justice and propriety, believing
1t to be an inherent right or citizenship"
As TO whether MIR. Thompson ever
made this statement or not we do not