The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-09-20
HOW BELINDA CAST HER VOTE
Bachelor Girl Frankly Relates Trials and Tbuaons Trying
to Do Her Ctizenly Duty at the Primaries Tuesday.

engagement,-and only time enough to
get there. 1t seemed to me never met so
many busy, engaged women all in one day
In my life.
. | peeked around the corner and discov-
cred that there was crowd about the
door of the polling place Men had taken
the lunch hour as an opportunity to cast
their votes, too. it seemed was
ashamed to turn square about and retrace
my steps, so I meandered on to half the
block, knowing I never should have the
courage to go into the place, when sud-
denly | bethought me that woman I
know lived just across the street, and that
from there I could watch my opportunity
when the place was comparatively empty.
never had called upon her-but feceS-
sity makes one forget the conventional
ties-so mounted the steps and rang the
bell. No answer. l rang and rang
waited and waited, longer than I would
have thought of doing. under other cir
cumstances hoping that the place would
be clear by the time I turned away. It
Was no use. Men in unnis takable num-
bers We're going in and te,it-and so quiz
city turned the corner and went back to
nay house. = \. 80. -
Now, owing to my having been late that
morning; had left my bed unmade-and
my Sunday night supper dishes were still
| unwashed. 7 am a bachelor girl, you see,
and not held by the ride bound traditions
OF the average housewife. It suddenly
struck me that a, woman who enters the
field of suffrage should likewise be able
to show IA clean bill of health as to the
performance of her home. duties So
'donned an apron and in a trice my hands
were in the dishwater, in another trice the
dishes We're all done and set.in their prop
er places, the bed made--a then I looked
around for more houseWifely worlds to
conquer. 1t was getting harder every
minute to face the ordeal of that polling
place.. Really, i'll had not already COM
n1itted myself to the act, by word Of
! mouth to 1.-THE boys,,H1 Should have let my
principles in the matter go to the four
winds and should have settled back once
: and for all into the old. accepted mascu-
line idea that women have no business in
politics. It was not principles at all that
held me. to the act. It was pride. :
| Finally I found myself standing before
a man who held up his hand in anything
but a Delsartean, becoming way, and
whose angles I copied as nearly as
could-and when he finished. I under
stood that I had hsWorn." What at
have not the least idea. Then CAME the
usual questions, as to- name, residence
place of birth and age! :: Now, had beer
scared over the ordeal long enough.
determined to have some amusement ou
of the solemn faced, coatless, bored-look
ing men. I answered. :, (
.Twenty- one!" ! :
, They looked dashed. They looked a
me; they looked at each other; the,
started to say something and didn't, OF
; couldn't, and then began to stammel
something. I took pity them fol
their obtuseness and replied:
That's old enough to vote, isn't it?'
Four separate mods, "And don't yol
think it as old as any woman ought t.
confess herself?" No mods, but cpl" wa:
| 10 oh t11,o
, knew we'll the next question and had m.
campaign all neatly laid.
How long have you lived in Mime
apolis?'
''since $780, was the reply,-and that
the truth. There was an instants paus'
as they began to tote up, and just a
could see them beginning to have
glinmering of the truth, added dryly:
1 "Oh, it's 80 albright enough!''
r There were four loud outlaws, and on
distinct giggle. The half dozen me,
! fringing the place, something less thai
the specified twenty-five feet, all rushe,
e to the door to see what was going on.
e didn't like that, but having had my day
4 felt that I should, not object if they ha
! theirs, even at my expense.
It has always been y mystery to m
=. what a voting booth was like. Nothin
at all attrac tive. Merely a. pine box, tina
al man weighing $50 could not find elbow
room IN, containing Shel1, Tin candle
" stick that would have disgraced tn
S household of the grandmother of the poor
: est white trash of to-day, and a cheap pen
Z Gil with regular woman point" to II
I securely tied to the woodwork by strin
:. hardly long enough for effective use. Th
= boards We're not even carefully planeo
l. either. Moreover they were so soft an
= the pencil was SO hard, that instead {
. fbeing crosses, my marks were principal
" holes.
t That's all there is to it. I feel bette
= at having registered my choice of can
: didates for the school and library boards
r have a comfortable feeling of havin
e made a strong stand for a good cause,
n manner worthy of an old-time marty
e What am not so sure about is whether c
h not it has made me a convert to the gen
d -eral cause Of woman suffrage.
n, Belinda