Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1902-12-05
SUFFRAGE TEST.
COLORADO'S EXPERIENCE is
UNSATISFACTORY.

COLORADO'S EXPERIENCE is
UNSATISFACTORY.
Women Vote Very Generally and With lnteIli.
sence A Few Conservatives Still Object.
but the Women Are Breaking Down the Bar.
riers - Women Scratch Their Tickets and
Vote With Discrimination.
Chicago Tribune
The facts show that the women do
an immense amount OF preliminary
work in the campaign in the way of
organizing clubs and stirring up the
women voters to sense of the import
ance of the ballot. With no strictly
female measures to advocate for them.
selves. they are more closely allied
with the ordinary male organizations
OF politics and work over the same
fields and with practically the same
methods.
In all the principal towns of Color
ado the women have political organi-
cations. The Woman's Republican
League of Colorado had headquarters
with the State Republican Committee
in Denver and the Democratic Feder.
alton of Women's Clubs had its work.
ing bureau with that of the Demo.
cratic State Committee. Both organi-
cations had branches scattered broad
cast and worked hard and earnestly.
The men who were active in cam
paign work say they were greatly aid
ed by the women, and one of Color
ado's leading club women says regard.
ing woman's work in the campaign:
"Suffrage has done more than any
one thing to teach women toleration ;
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 q
different recipe, and goes to different
church, cannot be my most intimate
friend; We may meet at the club and
discuss with enthusiasm the pros and
cons of questions of vital importance
and hopelessly disagree, but We con.
tinne to move in the same society, at.
tend the came receptions, return calls,
and have learned that differences OF
opinion are good things to have"
The independent and sometimes
contradictory disposition OF the woman
voter has been amply demonstrated in
many cases, but the tendency to vote
upon judgment instead of from i'm.
pulse is developing rapidly in all com.
munitics.
One of the serious drawbacks to wo-
mems organizations has been the dis.
position to bolt. Faction after faction
has dropped out and started anew.
This is not done 20 much now a. it
was, and in the last election it was OBJ
servable only in . greatly diminished
degree.
The women are acquiring broader
comprehension OF policies and matters
Of more than local scope, although it
is admitted that personal popularity
among women candidates is even .
more potent factor than it is among
men.
The personal element in feminine
politics was clearly brought out in the
race for State Superintendent Of Pub
lie Schools, place held for the last
two terms by . woman, Mrs. Helen
Loring Grenfell. Miss Emma NJ.
Herey, Superintendent Of Arapahoe
county, aspired to the nomination on
the Democratic 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. Grenfell's
followers stood firmly for their candi.
date upon her record, and the theory
that unless she was unfit for the post
there should be no change. Miss Her
ey's followers fought for tho nomina-
ton, and even bolted the nominating
convention in their devotion to their
t, choice. Miss Herey. however, proved
an abler politician, and when she real.
ICED she was beaten for the nomina.
tion she carried her entire following
over to the standard OF Mrs. Grenfell.
To those who declare woman suf.
frsge TO be failure the, suggestion 10
offered by Mrs. Harriet G. r. Wright,
who has served two terms in the Col.
orado Legislature, and is one of the
active 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
at is a. reasonable" she said" to ex.
pect women to make the best use OF
their franchise in the first year it is
given them as to look for foreigner
TO become as intelligent q 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 q few years before
you pass final judgment as to what d.
rection 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 wo.
men scratched their tickets with un-