St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-06-29
MARY A. LIvERMORE.

Browning" as the maligners Of clubs
would have us believe. Every social
and public question under heaven is
openly discussed in these societies by
women appointed beforehand, ana
who have prepared themselves for the
occasion. and reports of the debates
are published in their official organs.
Inevitably, this enlarges the educa-
ton of women and assists them in the
formation of opinions concerning the
mooted questions of the day in which
men are interested. The average WON.
man, perhaps better. and is quite as
well informed. and men know it. II
is no uncommon thing to hear man
say nowadays: my wife feels deeply
about this Filipino war;" or this can.
teen question. have not had time to
read and think about it, as she has. but
I'm inclined to believe she's right.
The political influence" of women
is felt strongly in towns and cities OF
Massachusetts, when a local election is
pending. Few Of the 100 towns OF the
state that voted q no-license law last
year could have done it without the
help of women. They held no-license
rallies, arranged for effective speak
ing and music, distributed literature,
invoked the aid of the ministers and
churches. canvassed for votes, and sup
plemented the men with whom they
worked in every way possible. Thirty
three of the states of the union have
local option laws in some form on
their statute books, which means that
on this one vital question alone women
exert an enormous political influ-
ence." Women have been the saddest
sufferers from the liquor traffic from
time immemorial, and they may be
trusted to hit it hard when they have
= chance.
Women took . deep interest in the
election Of Hon. Mr.. Bates during
the last gubernatorial campaign. They
had no especial grievance against his
competitor, but mighty preference
for Mr.. Bates. The entire makeup OF
the man, his past record and the prom
Use of the future given by his life and
character constituted him the candi-
date who should be elected, in the es-
timation of not q few women of in
fluence and activity. Persuade the
men Of your household and acquaint-
ance to vote for Bates" became their
watchword. I must not tell tales out
Of school, but the methods that were
quietly and persistently followed must
have had their influence with voters.
s.Has woman any influence in pol
itics?" Ask Brigham Roberts, the
Mormon polygamist, who would now
be a member of the lower house of
congress but for the women of the
country, who threw their influence
against him solidly. until he was sent
back to Utah, and, like the lamented
Hon.J.J. ingalls,, became "a statesman
out of a job"
Does somebody rise to inquire: "Why
women do not exert their political in
fiuence in behalf of school suffrage.
which has been granted them in this
stated" They do not have school SUI.
frage, only school committee suffrage,
which is another thing. They are not
consulted in the nomination of the
ticket for school committee, cannot at
tend the caucuses, and are only al
lowed to vote for q list of men Of
whom they know nothing, who are put
in nomination by politicians of whom
they know nothing. Before they can
use this fragment of a right they are
required to observe all the usages and
forms which give men the full bal
lot. How many men could be dra-
gooned to the polls under similar cir
cumstances?- MARY a. Livermore. in
Chicago Tribune.