The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-12-20
THE WOMAN IN POLITICS.

The woman in politics has been given
another fair trial and the pury is di-
vided on it's verdict in the case. The
conditions under which the woman has
been tried were entirely different from
any before presented, and the effect OF
her part in it upon the results has also
been different.
The test has been made in Colorado,
where women may vote on almost
every issue and where almost every
woman has taken advantage Of the OPP
portunity offered her.
The male voters of the old school still
insist that suffrage for women has only
served to make a worse mess of the
whole business than did the Australian
ulJt and the other novelties. In the
election this year the issues were prac-
tically upon straight Democratic and
Republican party lines, with fewer 10
cal issues than usual. The women Vot-
ed for both sides, and the advocate of
narrowness in political matters says:
The woman voter has proved a fail
ure; the campaign, her first real eX-
perience in political turmoil and strife
has developed spite, narrowness, ami
mostly, deceit that prove that the
woman in politics can be, and is, under
similar circumstances, just as sIlall as
the man."
The facts show that the women did
an immense amount of preliminary
work in the campaign in the way of
organizing clubs and stirring up the
women voters. TO a sense of the import
ance of the ballot. With no strictly fe-
male measures to advocate for them
selves, they were more closely allied
with the ordinary male organizations
Of politics and worked over the same
fields and with practically the same
methods.
In all the principal towns of Colorado
the women had political organizations.
The Women,s Republican League of
Colorado had headquarters with the
state Republican committee in Denver,
and the Democratic Federation of Wo-
mems Clubs had its working bureau
with that of the Democratic state COM
mittee. Both organizations had
branches scattered broadcast and
worked hard and earnestly.
The men who We're active in cam
paign work say they were greatly aid
ed by the women, and one of Colorado's
leading club women says, regarding
Woman's work in the campaign:
Suffrage has done more than any
one thing to teach woman liberation;
in short. to broaden them The time
has passed when the woman who diff
fers from me in the way bring up my
children, who bakes johnny cake by a
different recipe, and goes to a different
church cannot be the most intimate
friend; we meet at the club and discuss
the pros and cons of ques
tions of vital Importance and hopeless
ly disagree. but we continue to move
in the same society, attend the same
receptions, return calls and have
learned that differences of poinion are
good things to have.
The Independent and some times con-
Trajectory dispositions of the woman
voter has been amply d onstrated in
many cases, but the tendency to vote
upon Judgment instead OF from impulse
is developing rapidly IN all commune
ties.
One of the serious drawbacks to
women's organizations has been the
disposition TO bolt. Faction after fac
ton has dropped out and started anew.
This is not done. so much now as it
was, and in the last election it was OBJ
servable only in a greatly diminished
degree.
The women are acquiring a broader
comprehension of politics and matters
of more than local scope, although it is
admitted that personal popularity
among women candidates is even a
more potent factor than it is among
men.
The personal element in feminine pol
itics was clearly brought out in the
race for state superintendent of public
schools, a place held for the last two
terms by 3 woman, Mrs. Helen Loring
GrenfeI. Miss Emma NJ. Herey, SUI
perintendent Of Arapahoe county, as
pired to the nomination on the Demo-
cratic ticket in place of Mrs. Grenfell.
Both candidates had large and active
followings. and it did not take long for
the campaign to warm up to high
pitch. Mrs GrenfelPs followers stood
firmly for their candidate upon her
record, and the theory that unless she
was unfit for the post there should be
no change. Miss Herey's followers
fought for the nomination, and even
bolted the nominating convention in
their devotion to their choice Miss
Herey. however, proved an ADLER poll
tician. and when she realized she was
beaten for the nomination she carried
her entire following over to the stand
dard of Mrs. Grenfell
To those who declare woman suffrage
to be a failure the suggestion is Of |
fered by Mrs. Harriet G. R. Wright !
who has served two terms in the Colo |
rado legislature, and is one of the ac-
tive club women, that judgment has
been passed before the new voters have |
been given an opportunity to show
what they are really capable of doing |
1T is as reasonable, she said, ito eX- |
Dect women to make the best use of
their franchise in the first year X is
given them as to look for foreigner
to become as intelligent a citizen the
first year he is enfranchised as he will
be after he has exercised his right and |
gained experience by several elections. |
Colorado women are just beginning to |
develop their full powers. Even now |
you should wait for a few years be- |
fore you pass final judgment as to |
what direction their political efforts |
will take in the future"
The judges and clerks who counted |
the ballots at the last election are |
unanimous in declaring that the women |
scratched their tickets with unlimited |
freedom and a great amount of dis
elimination.
The scratching of the ballots was
done in a manner clearly showing that |
the women had thought for themselves
before entering the polling places The.
fact that they were voting the ticket
Of any particular party did nos Of De-