Evening star., 1902-02-17
WHAT UTAH HAS DONE
Mormon State Better Off for
Woman's Franchise.
GOV. WELLS OPINION
INFLUENCE EVER IN INTEREST
OF BETTER GOVERNMENT.
Woman's Vote Terror to Evil Doers-
Belief That Suffrage Should
Be Universal.
GOV. WELLS OPINION

Mrs. Emmeline b. Wells who heads the
frage convention. Is regarded with especial
interest by leaders in the suffrage move
ment because of her long and successful
work to secure for the women Of her STATE
political privileges equal to those of men,
Women of Utah" Mrs Wells said to q
Star reporter today, have all the political
privileges of men, Politically | know moth
ing that they could desire that they have
not at present. One woman has been
member of our state senate and women are
now represented on the boards OF manage
ment Of the state university ana the va-
ricus corrective institutions"
do the women of Utah generally exer-
else their right to vote?' Mrs. Wells was
asked.
Il find" she replied, that women who
protested against our work 10 secure the
franchise, and who took occasion 10 say
at that time that We did not represent
them in asking that women he allowed To
vote. have been very ready 10 exercise Their
privilege when they wish To help some one
to get an office. | knew one lady who was
very much opposed to women having the
suffrage, and yet after they secured Ii and
her husband was renominated for an office.
she very eager in its exercise and in
interesting all her women friends to vote
as she desired
People who imagine that women of the
Norman faith take less active interest in
political matters than do others will he
surprised to learn that the entire delega-
ton to the convention from Utah is COM
posed Of Mormon women.
Mrs. Wells is the aunt'of Governor Weber
NJ. Wells of Utah. Since arriving here she
has received the following letter from her
nephew and governor of Utah. strongly APP
proving the exercise of the franchise by
women.
Gov Wells Letter
ITO write letter to you, the lifelong
and distinguished advocate of the enfran-
chisement of woman, telling You that am
also in favor of it. seems a good deal like
carrying Goals to Newcastle. but since you
wish it. l most cheerfully acquicsce.
Woman suffrage is correct in principle
1t is founded upon inherent right. If it
Were not for man made laws women would
vote as well as men, and if women had
made the laws in the first place. it is fair
to assume they would not have been sell
fish to have excluded men. Our fore
fathers contended for the principle of
sent of the governed, yet in their general
exultation over their revolutionary vic
tories they forgot our foremotherS. whose
female descendants are governed still with
out their specific consent.
Our forefathers fought against the in
justice of taxation without representatio
they won the battle; the shouts of their
triumph echoed around the world. yet un-
represented women property owners are
Still paying taxes. l have never heard an
argument against the right of women to
vote but only against the eXpedienry of it,
The opponents of woman suffrage content
themselves with doubling the advisa bility
of such a move. but they do not attempt
to prove that women are not entitled to
the franchise as matter OF right
indians are prohibited from voting be-
cause they are not capable of exercising
the franchise intelligently The native sub.
Jects of our new possessions will not be al
lowed TO vote until they are able to COM
prehend that to he an American citizen is
greater than king. Children in the United
States are forbidden the franchise until
they are matured by asa But here is
Susan b. Anthony. who is over the age of
twenty-one. endowed with all the graces
loyal to the institutions of her country a
landed property owner, capable of occupy
Ing the highest office in the gift of the peo-
pie, and she cannot vote for constable in
her own precinct for no other reason than
that she is woman. l suppose that the
ldea IS that she must not be allowed to
cast her ballot because IT would open the
door to other Intelligent women.
Lawmakers Seem to Be Afraid.
Our lawmakers seem to be afraid OF en-
franchising women because Of the deterio-
rating effect which politics might have on
womankind. If this be true, let the expe-
rience of Utah speak. For six years women
in this state have had the right to vote
and hold office. Have the wheels of prog
ress stopped? Instead, we have bounded
forward with Seyen-league boots. Have
the fears and the predictions of the local
opponents of woman suffrage been verified?
Have women dcSenerated into low politi-
clans, neglectinS their homes and stffing
the nOblest emotions of womanhood? On
the contrary, women are respected quite
as much as they were before statehood:
loved as frequently and as rapturously as
ever, and are led to the altar with the
same diligence, the same beatitic strains Of
music and the same unspeakabe joy that
invested ceremODlalS befDra
chisement.
The plain facts are that in this state
the influence Of women in politics has been
distinctly elevating. In the primary, in the
convention and at the polls her very pres
ence inspires respect for law and order
Few men are SO base that they will not
be &c ntfemen in the presence of ladies' Ex-
perience has shown that women have
voted their intelligent CONVICTIONS too They
understand the questions at issue and they
vote conscientiousy and fearlessly While
we do not claim TO have the purest politics
In the world in Utah, 1t Will be readily con-
ceded that the woman vote Is a terror to
evil-doers, and our course is therefore up
ward and onward.
A Bugaboo of the Opposition
Zone of the bugaboos of the opposition
was that women would he compelled to sit
on juries. Not a single instance of the
kind has happened In the state, for the
reason that women are never summoned;
the law simply exempts them, but does not
exclude them. Another favorite idiocy OF
the anti-suffrag gists used to be that if the
women vote they ought to be compelled to
fight In the same manner the law eX-
elnpts them from military service.
For one. am proud of ttahs record in
dealing with her female citizens. 1 take
the same pride In it that a good husband
" ould who has treated his wife we'll and
/ look forward with eager hope to the day
when woman suffrage shall become univer-
sal